Flu Vaccination Rates Plummet Amid Rising Hospitalization Cases in Wisconsin

LA CROSSE, Wis. — With flu hospitalizations exceeding 6,500 since September, this year’s flu season in Wisconsin is proving severe, especially as vaccination rates hit a decade low.

Dr. Raj Naik, a pediatrician in the La Crosse area, reports that the influenza virus continues to spread rapidly in northcentral Wisconsin. Last year, the state recorded only 3,901 flu hospitalizations, highlighting the severity of this year’s outbreak.

The latest data from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services shows that only 28% of residents received flu vaccinations this season. This marks a 10-percentage-point decline in flu shot uptake over the last four years. Concerns are growing among primary care providers about the implications of declining vaccination rates and their effect on community immunity.

“It’s becoming more common for families to be uninterested in discussing vaccines,” said Naik, who works at Emplify Health by Gundersen. “There’s a visible fatigue or resistance to the conversation.” The rise in vaccine mistrust, intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic, has shifted discussions about flu vaccinations.

Naik added, “Vaccine hesitancy seems to be part of a larger trend where patients are apathetic not just toward the flu shot, but vaccination in general.” With the FDA’s recent focus on the annual flu vaccine, concerns about vaccination fatigue continue to affect public health efforts.

Wisconsin’s history of rising vaccination rates saw notable increase during the COVID-19 pandemic, where nearly 44% of residents received flu shots that season due to heightened health concerns. However, this year’s low rates reflect a shift back to apathy, particularly as individuals perceive the flu as less threatening.

“For many, the risks associated with flu seem exaggerated after a phase of pandemic fatigue,” Ajay Sethi, a public health expert at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said. “This perception is compounded by the reduced severity of flu seasons in recent years.”

Seasonal flu death tolls tend to be overshadowed by COVID-19, despite the reality that flu can be severe for vulnerable populations including older adults and young children. Dr. Jim Conway, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at UW Health, shared observations of families defaulting on seasonal flu shots generally due to oversight rather than aversion.

In a recent CDC survey, the leading reason adults cited for not getting the flu shot was lack of concern about the illness, with many reporting they were avoiding vaccinations altogether. Prioritizing other vaccines over the flu shot appears to be a common theme, with Conway hearing regular remarks like, “We usually get the flu shot every year, but we forgot this time.”

Despite the push towards flu vaccinations, awareness of symptoms and complications associated with the flu remains low. Influenza can lead to severe complications such as pneumonia, inflammation of the heart, and even death in extreme cases.

However, health officials believe that better education and engagement about vaccines could shift opinions, especially if flu cases continue to rise. Public health outreach is vital in changing perceptions around the necessity of flu shots as influenza remains present and dangerous.

“I’m hopeful we can leverage this opportunity to reinforce the importance of vaccination,” Sethi said. “Even with rising skepticism, personal relationships between providers and patients can drive effective communication and education about vaccines.”

As Wisconsin battles one of its harshest flu seasons, both medical professionals and health organizations emphasize the importance of vaccinations to both individual and community health.