ATLANTA — A new study of vaccination rates across the United States put Georgia in the bottom five when it comes to how many people are taking the shot.
The study, from Value Penguin, said only 38.6% of Georgia adults got a flu shot last year, the fifth lowest rate in the U.S.
Channel 2 Action News has reported previously on the rising trend of flu cases across the U.S. and in Georgia, including an instance where an infant was put on a ventilator after catching the flu over the Christmas holiday.
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The Value Penguin study found that Georgia’s flu vaccination rate fell 0.9% in 2025 and “even fewer Georgia residents got a COVID-19 vaccination in 2025,” with not quite 16% opting to take the shot.
While the overall number of Georgians taking COVID vaccines was less than half of the rate getting a flu shot, the rate of COVID vaccinations was up 0.9% in the past year, Value Penguin reported.
Doctors at Emory Healthcare told Channel 2 Action News that flu cases are also surging in the metro Atlanta area.
DeKalb County reported a 60% increase in flu-related emergency calls over the past few weeks, as well.
Health officials said flu cases in Georgia were rising before the New Year holiday and that trend is continuing.
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