4 out of 5 Mexicans who got a flu shot this year turned down Cuban and Russian COVID-19 vaccines

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Four out of five people in Mexico who got influenza shots so far this year turned down the government’s recommendation they get Russian or Cuban COVID-19 boosters at the same time. A health official said the high refusal rate was because people were reluctant to get two vaccines. But some people appear to simply distrust the Russian Sputnik and Cuban Abdala vaccines, both designed in 2020 for variants prevalent at the time. Meanwhile, Mexico has held up approval for Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 boosters used in the United States since October, and those boosters may not be available for Mexicans until 2024.