More Skipping Flu Shots: Here's Where Tennessee Ranks

NASHVILLE, TN — Using every sales pitch in the book, pharmacists and physicians are doing everything thing they can to get people to take a flu shot this month. With healthy doses of skepticism, fear or maybe laziness, most in U.S. are saying, "No, thank you." Data from the Centers for Disease Control suggests it may be getting harder to get adults to roll up their sleeves for a flu shot. What about Tennessee?

The CDC recommends a flu vaccine for all Americans 6 months or older, preferably by the end of October. "Flu vaccination can reduce flu illnesses, doctors’ visits, and missed work and school due to flu, as well as prevent flu-related hospitalizations," according to a CDC statement. Severe cases of the flu can lead to death, particularly in very young children and the elderly.

Flu shot data from the 2015-16 season shows a nearly 2 percent drop in overall flu vaccinations in the U.S. Children were vaccinated at a rate comparable to the previous year, but more adults passed on their flu shot last season. Only 41.7 percent of adults got the vaccine — lower numbers than the CDC found in the two previous seasons.

In Tennessee, 46.3 percent of the population were vaccinated in the 2015-16 flu season. That's a drop from 48.8 percent estimated in the previous season, and a high of 52.7 in 2013-14. Ranked the 27th state in vaccination rates, Tennessee is ahead of the national average: 45.6 percent.

See State-by-State Flu Vaccine Rankings

If the U.S. could increase vaccination coverage by 5 percent, that would prevent about 800,000 illnesses and nearly 10,000 hospitalizations, according to CDC Director Tom Frieden. "Flu vaccine is one of the best buys in public health," Frieden said. "For employers, it will reduce your absenteeism rate. For families, it’ll reduce the likelihood that you have to miss school or work. And for all of us, increasing that rate will keep us healthier and reduce healthcare costs."

Yet, Frieden noted in a September press conference, "we're not seeing the kinds of trends we would like with flu vaccination."

Flu vaccines this year will not be given through nasal sprays, due to recent studies questioning the method's effectiveness. The flu bug begins to make the rounds in October and November. Most of the time flu activity peaks between December and March and can last as late as May.

And, there's a little bit of science in that aisle of the Target drugstore. A study this summer by CVS (now a pharmacy partner with the supermarket) found that Americans are more likely to get a flu vaccine when it is convenient.

Type in your zip code in the box below and you can find the nearest locations for a flu shot.

Includes reporting by Deb Belt | Image via Shutterstock