© 2026 Western New York Public Broadcasting Association

140 Lower Terrace St.
Buffalo, NY 14202

Toronto Address:
130 Queens Quay E.
Suite 903
Toronto, ON M5A 0P6


Mailing Address:
Horizons Plaza P.O. Box 1263
Buffalo, NY 14240-1263

Buffalo Toronto Public Media | Phone 716-845-7000
BTPM NPR Newsroom | Phone: 716-845-7040
Differing shades of blue wavering throughout the image
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Vaccination Nation: America's slow start for new booster shots

(Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
(Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Last month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a new round of COVID boosters. 

The bivalent boosters were specifically designed to combat the omicron variant.But early data shows just 4 percent of eligible Americans have gotten them. 

New polling from the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation found roughly half of all Americans have heard little or nothing about the new shots. 

Scientists say that could be bad news heading into autumn and winter. European COVID cases and hospitalizations are once again on the rise — a trend that typically precedes a similar jump in the U.S.

As Americans fall behind on their shots, what could that mean for another winter surge? We’ll ask the experts, and answer your questions, on this month’s Vaccination Nation. 

Copyright 2022 WAMU 88.5

Paige Osburn, James Morrison