Public health officials have spent the last several months trying to combat COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in the United States, often reiterating the safety and efficacy of the shots approved by the Food and Drug Administration. But a Medicare Advantage study conducted earlier this month found that, nationwide, 312,173 seniors are planning to avoid getting inoculated because of concerns they'll have to pay for the vaccines, WRIC in Richmond, Virginia, reports.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has tried to make it clear that coronavirus vaccinations are free to everyone regardless of insurance coverage, but the study notes "it's difficult to fault older adults for having concerns about the cost" because there have been numerous reports of clinics charging people for vaccine appointments, and a number of scams have surfaced, as well. People over 65 make up the age demographic most vulnerable to COVID-19.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
RFK Jr. scraps Covid shots for pregnant women, kidsSpeed Read The Health Secretary announced a policy change without informing CDC officials
-
New FDA chiefs limit Covid-19 shots to elderly, sickspeed read The FDA set stricter approval standards for booster shots
-
US overdose deaths plunged 27% last yearspeed read Drug overdose still 'remains the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18-44,' said the CDC
-
Trump seeks to cut drug prices via executive orderspeed read The president's order tells pharmaceutical companies to lower prescription drug prices, but it will likely be thrown out by the courts
-
RFK Jr. visits Texas as 2nd child dies from measlesSpeed Read An outbreak of the vaccine-preventable disease continues to grow following a decade of no recorded US measles deaths
-
Shingles vaccine cuts dementia risk, study findsSpeed Read Getting vaccinated appears to significantly reduce the chances of developing Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia
-
Measles outbreak spreads, as does RFK Jr.'s influenceSpeed Read The outbreak centered in Texas has grown to at least three states and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is promoting unproven treatments
-
RFK Jr. offers alternative remedies as measles spreadsSpeed Read Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. makes unsupported claims about containing the spread as vaccine skepticism grows
