On this page, you will learn:
- How COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy has increased in recent years, with side effects reported as a common concern1-3
- That people at greater risk include adults 65+, those with comorbidities, or those who have not received a vaccine4,5
- How protection against COVID-19 may also mean protection from Long COVID6
Vaccine hesitancy and concern over COVID-19 vaccine side effects have increased in recent years1-3*
As of February 2025, only 1 in 5 US adults had received an updated 2024-2025 COVID‑19 vaccine2†
In a 2024 survey, only 1 in 4 US adults said they would definitely get an updated COVID-19 vaccine1‡
Among those not planning to get vaccinated, 56% cited side effects as a concern1‡
Offer NUVAXOVID at the same time as a flu vaccine
Offering flu and COVID-19 vaccines together can help increase vaccination rates.7,8
Your patients are at greater risk from COVID-19 if they are older, have comorbidities, or have not received a vaccine4,5
Patients who are at increased risk from COVID-19:
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Older Adults4,5
- Patients aged ≥65 years make up 73% of all COVID-19 hospitalizations among adults§
- Risk of severe outcomes from COVID-19 increases substantially for patients aged 65 years and older
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Patients With Comorbidities4
Risk of COVID-19 hospitalization is increased among adults with underlying medical conditions, including, but not limited to:
- Chronic kidney disease
- Diabetes
- Coronary artery disease
- Asthma
- History of stroke
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- Severe obesity
Unvaccinated Patients5
- Being unvaccinated or not being up to date on COVID-19 vaccinations increases the risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes
From September 2023 to October 2024, the COVID-19 hospitalization rate was ~2x higher than flu.9||
Protection against COVID-19 may also mean protection from Long COVID6
- One study of 8 major healthcare systems found that persistent symptoms were present 1 year after initial infection in 18.3% of patients10¶
- It is estimated that over 1 million Americans are out of the workforce at any given time due to Long COVID11¶
- A recent study found that patients who were hospitalized within 30 days after COVID-19 infection had a 29% higher risk of death 3 years later compared with people who did not get the virus12#
*Based on 2023 National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) study compared to 2024 NFID study data.1,3
†According to CDC data as of February 2025.2
‡According to 2024 NFID study; the survey was conducted on August 8-12, 2024 and included 1,160 complete responses—1,130 online and 30 by telephone—from US adults age 18 years and older.1
§Based on COVID-NET data from October 2023 to September 2024.4
||2023-2024 CDC Respiratory Virus Hospitalization Surveillance Network (RESP-NET) estimates of cumulative rates of flu and COVID-19 hospitalizations in the US.9
¶Data from The Innovative Support for Patients with SARS-CoV-2 Infections Registry (INSPIRE).10
#Data from a study of ~135,000 people with SARS-CoV-2 infection and 5.2 million controls followed for 3 years.12
CDC = Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Your recommendation can help patients choose the protection of a COVID-19 vaccine13
INDICATION
References
1. National Foundation for Infectious Diseases. 2024 National Survey: attitudes and behaviors about influenza, COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus, and pneumococcal disease. September 2024. Accessed January 28, 2025. https://www.nfid.org/resource/2024-national-survey-attitudes-and-behaviors-about-influenza-covid-19-respiratory-syncytial-virus-and-pneumococcal-disease/ 2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Vaccination uptake, intent, and confidence. April 2025. Accessed May 9, 2025. https://www.cdc.gov/respvaxview/dashboards/vaccination-behavioral-social-drivers.html 3. National Foundation for Infectious Diseases. 2023 attitudes about influenza, COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus, and pneumococcal disease. September 2023. Accessed January 28, 2025. 4. Havers FP. COVID-19–Associated Hospitalizations—COVID-NET, February 2025 Update. Accessed May 9, 2025. https://www.cdc.gov/acip/downloads/slides-2025-04-15-16/03-Havers-COVID-508.pdf 5. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Underlying conditions and higher risk for severe COVID-19. February 2025. Accessed February 18, 2025. https://www.cdc.gov/covid/hcp/clinical-care/underlying-conditions.html 6. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Long COVID Basics. July 2025. Accessed August 11, 2025. https://www.cdc.gov/long-covid/about/index.html 7. World Health Organization. COVID-19 vaccination. December 2024. Accessed June 4, 2026. https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/policy-briefs/policy-brief_covid-19_vaccination.pdf?sfvrsn=8a899cd3_2 8. Ipsos. Les professionnels de santé, clé de voûte de l’intention vaccinale Covid-19. September 2025. Accessed March 25, 2026. https://www.ipsos.com/fr-fr/les-professionnels-de-sante-cle-de-voute-de-lintention-vaccinale-covid-19 9. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Respiratory Virus Hospitalization Surveillance Network (RESP-NET). October 2024. Accessed May 15, 2025. https://www.cdc.gov/resp-net/dashboard/index.html 10. Montoy JCC, Ford J, Yu H, et al. Prevalence of symptoms ≤12 months after acute illness, by COVID-19 status—United States, December 2020-March 2023. MMWR. 2023;72(32):859-865. 11. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Living with Long COVID. July 2025. Accessed August 11, 2025. https://www.cdc.gov/long-covid/living-with/index.html 12. Cai M, Xie Y, Topol EJ, Al-Aly Z. Three-year outcomes of post-acute sequelae of COVID-19. Nat Med. 2024 Jun;30(6):1564-1573. doi:10.1038/s41591-024-02987-8. 13. NUVAXOVID. Prescribing Information. Novavax, Inc; 2025.
