According to the latest data, 7% of American adults and 2% of children have received a COVID-19 vaccine in the month since new versions were recommended by federal officials.

An authority described the rates as “terrible.”

The data, announced on Thursday during a conference organized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is based on a nationwide study of thousands of American participants, which took place two weeks ago.

The information also showed that about 40% of adults stated they are unlikely or definitely will not receive the vaccination. A similar proportion of parents expressed their lack of intention to vaccinate their kids.

In late summer, health officials from the government changed the approach of the country’s COVID-19 vaccination efforts to resemble those of the yearly flu campaign.

Authorities gave the green light for revised vaccinations which now focus on a specific variant known as XBB.1.5, a descendant of the omicron strain. These new shots have replaced the previous versions that targeted the original coronavirus and an earlier form of omicron. In the month prior, the CDC advised that individuals 6 months and older should receive the updated shots.

The government shifted to a commercial system where the responsibility of distributing shots was placed on the health care industry rather than the government. Some individuals who sought out shots right away found that pharmacies or doctors did not have them available.

For over 2 and 1/2 years, Americans have been advised to receive various versions of the vaccines. In the current year, the number of COVID-19 deaths and hospitalizations have decreased to levels lower than those observed in the last three years.

The number of cases is still significantly lower than during the initial months of the pandemic. However, health authorities are reporting approximately 18,000 hospitalizations and 1,200 deaths per week.

During the meeting, Dr. Camille Kotton from Harvard Medical School expressed concerns about the numbers, deeming them “abysmal”. She mentioned that patient confusion could be contributing to the problem and suggested increasing public education campaigns.

Dr. David Kimberlin from the University of Alabama at Birmingham also conveyed disappointment.

He stated that the suggestions are not being listened to.

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The Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group provides support to the Associated Press Health and Science Department. The AP is solely responsible for all of the content.