Health Leaders Address Vaccine Concerns

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – Health leaders gathered this month for the regional health council meeting to review current respiratory illness trends and discuss ways to strengthen vaccination outreach across the area. 

A major focus of the meeting was influenza, as flu activity remains high in Tennessee and across the country.

According to data shared during the meeting, nearly 19 million Americans have been sick with the flu this season, resulting in more than 250,000 hospitalizations and approximately 10,000 deaths nationwide. 

Physicians emphasized that the flu could lead to severe complications, even in otherwise healthy individuals.

Vaccination rates continue to be a concern. In Hamilton County, immunization rates among children remain between 33 and 35 percent, while uptake among older adults is around 65 percent. 

Physicians say misinformation and growing vaccine hesitancy are contributing to declining vaccination rates, despite the flu vaccine being safely used for decades.

Medical experts also addressed common misconceptions about vaccines, stressing that the flu vaccine does not contain mercury and is not a new technology. 

While this season’s dominant flu strain does not perfectly match the vaccine, doctors say vaccination remains one of the most effective tools to reduce severe illness, hospitalizations, and deaths.

At the meeting, participants also broke into small groups to review how future council meetings and regional public health efforts could be improved. 

That exercise focused on meeting effectiveness and overall public health strategies.