Quarter of public still hesitant to get COVID-19 vaccine: Survey

The share of Americans who want a coronavirus vaccine is rising, but over a quarter of the public is hesitant, with Republicans, rural residents and Black adults the most leery, according to a survey released Tuesday.

Seven in 10 Americans say they’ll definitely or probably get the vaccine, as TV screens show rolling footage of health workers being stuck with the new shots from Pfizer and BioNTech. That’s up from 63% in September, when worries about campaign-year chicanery were rampant, the Kaiser Family Foundation said.

Yet 12% of Americans say they probably won’t roll up their sleeves, and 15% say they definitely won’t.

Reasons for skepticism vary by group.

For instance, Republicans said they feel the dangers of COVID-19 have been exaggerated or they don’t trust the government, while nearly as many are worried about side effects.

Seven in 10 hesitant Black Americans worry about side effects, while about half are worried they could get COVID-19 from the shots or don’t trust vaccines in general.

Experts think these worries could dissipate as the vaccine campaign rolls out, starting with health workers and nursing-home residents.

“Many who are hesitant are in wait-and-see mode, and their concerns include worries about side effects and whether the vaccine can cause COVID-19, which may dissipate as people get more information and see the vaccine introduced successfully among people they know,” foundation President and CEO Drew Altman said.

The foundation said people are most likely to trust their doctors as a solid source of information, followed by national messengers like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration or Dr. Anthony Fauci of the National Institutes of Health.

Broadly speaking, the foundation said American are split into four groups:

• A third (34%) of Americans want the vaccine as soon as possible. It’s mostly made up of Democrats, seniors, white adults and people with college degrees.

• Nearly 40% is in wait-and-see mode and want to see how the vaccines work in priority groups before rolling up their sleeves. This group reflects the population at large.

• The smallest group, at 9%, says they’re getting the vaccine “only if required” for work, school or other reasons. About six in 10 people within this group are essential workers who must leave the home for their jobs and face a greater risk of infection.

• The most resistant group, at 15% of the public, would definitely not get vaccinated even if the shots are deemed safe and effective. This group is predominantly made up of Republicans and those with no more than a high-school education.