- Science & Research
Families Fighting Flu National Survey Results: Implications for the Upcoming Flu Season
Posted on June 25, 2020
Below is first in a series of blog posts featuring key insights on flu and COVID-19 from our recent national consumer survey.
Every Spring, we are busy making plans for how to tackle the upcoming flu season—how to increase flu vaccination rates and prevent others from experiencing what our families went through. This year, we are especially concerned because we know how serious the flu can be and we also know how serious the COVID-19 pandemic is. The combination of the two is alarming to us, but has it changed what Americans think about the dangers of the flu and their readiness to get vaccinated this fall?
We believe in science and aim to ground our outreach efforts in data. So, in collaboration with Sanofi, we conducted a national consumer survey in May to identify how people’s attitudes and beliefs are changing. We surveyed a broad audience of 1,446 adults that was weighted to reflect the U.S. population in terms of age, gender, ethnicity, etc. based on U.S. Census information.
The survey results revealed that while people understand both COVID-19 and flu are serious, about one-third do not believe they are personally at risk for either illness. We know firsthand that everyone is at risk for the flu and that flu is unpredictable. We have too many stories of children happily playing one day and hospitalized with flu the next.
It is frustrating to also find that more than 40% do not agree it is important to get a flu vaccine to remain healthy and not burden the health system during the upcoming flu season. Combined with persistent myths around flu vaccine safety and effectiveness, there is a clear need to urgently educate Americans about what they can do to stay healthy and how they can do their part to keep their communities safe as COVID-19 continues to circulate during flu season.
The results also reinforced a need to reach specific groups who have historically been vaccine-hesitant, including Hispanics and African Americans, younger adults, and those without a college degree.
The good news? At the survey conclusion, there was a 10-point increase in those saying they would get a flu vaccine, indicating a willingness to learn and change behavior. To encourage this behavior change, Families Fighting Flu is announcing a new initiative …
Take Action Today: Make the Families Fighting Flu Vaccination Promise
Families Fighting Flu is launching the Families Fighting Flu Vaccination Promise to encourage people to get a flu vaccination and help curb simultaneous flu and COVID-19 activity during the upcoming season. Sign up to make the Promise — commit to getting your annual flu vaccine by a selected date — and Families Fighting Flu will email a reminder to you of your Families Fighting Flu Vaccination Promise. Together, we can make a difference.
Survey Methodology
• Survey conducted by Remington Research Group May 26 – 28, 2020 via live calls to landlines and cell phones as well as digital panels pushed via SMS to 1,446 adults
• Weighted survey to match U.S. Census demographics
• Margin of error: +/-2.5% with a 95% level of confidence
• Conducted in collaboration with Sanofi
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