Local Outbreaks Can Motivate The Vaccine-Hesitant, Poll Finds

MONDAY, March 31, 2025 (HealthDay News) -- COVID-19 and influenza burned through the U.S. during this year’s cold and flu season, and deadly measles outbreaks have sickened people in 19 states.

So what does it take to get people vaccinated against these preventable diseases?

Essentially, an outbreak within a person’s own community appears to be one of the most potent influences on Americans’ vaccination decisions, according to a new HealthDay/Harris Poll.

Two-thirds of people (67%) said local outbreaks and new variants of vaccine-preventable diseases influence their decision to get a shot, poll results show.