Flu-Phobia: Influenza Vaccine Hesitancy in a Rural Primary Care Setting

The sentiments expressed by individuals, such as "I do not trust vaccines," "I do not believe in vaccines," and "I do not want a shot," are commonly encountered by physicians during the annual influenza season. This study investigates vaccine hesitancy regarding the influenza vaccine within a rural primary care setting in New York State. Observations of subjective comments from community members prompted an inquiry into whether the contentious discourse surrounding the COVID-19 vaccine has influenced patients' decisions about the influenza vaccination. We hypothesized that over 50% of patients would decline the influenza vaccine during the 2023-2024 season and that many would attribute their refusal to the controversies associated with the COVID-19 vaccine. The findings of the study revealed that while more than 50% of surveyed patients did indeed refuse the influenza vaccine, only a minority linked their decision to the COVID-19 vaccine controversy. This paper examines the attitudes of a rural community toward the influenza vaccine and proposes potential strategies to address future vaccination disparities.