Just Half of Americans Would Get a COVID-19 Vaccine If Ready Today

September 22, 2020 - Nearly half (51 percent) of Americans said they would definitely or probably get a COVID-19 vaccine if it were available today, while 49 percent said they definitely or probably would not, according to a recent study from Pew Research Center.

But 57 percent of Americans planning to get a vaccine say they would be a little (36 percent) or a lot (21 percent) less likely to do so if they had to pay out of pocket. 

Researchers conducted a survey of 10,093 US adults from September 8 to the 13, which found that intent to receive a COVID-19 vaccine has greatly declined across all political and demographic groups.

But there are still some major differences across specific groups.

For example, Democrats are 14 percent more likely than Republicans to say they would get a vaccine, at 54 percent versus 44 percent, respectively. 

Non-white Americans were also much less willing to get a vaccine than other Americans, with just 32 percent reporting that they would definitely or probably get a COVID-19 vaccine, compared to 52 percent of White Americans, 56 percent of Hispanics, and 72 percent of Asian Americans.

Most Americans voiced concerns regarding side effects and effectiveness of the vaccine, with 72 percent answering that these issues are “major” reasons why they would not receive a vaccine if available. 

Additionally, 77 percent of Americans think it is very or somewhat likely a COVID-19 vaccine will be approved in the US before its safety and effectiveness are fully understood and 78 percent of individuals think the vaccine process is moving too fast.

Many adults stated that they desire to know more about how well a vaccine works before receiving it. 

Fifty-seven percent of Americans said that individuals in clinical trials experiencing minor side effects, and the vaccine being effective only about 60 percent of the time, would decrease the likelihood of them getting vaccinated. 

In contrast, 20 percent of Americans are more concerned approval will move too slowly and create unnecessary care delays and 31 percent of adults reported that they didn’t believe they needed a vaccine in general.

Researchers pointed out that those who plan to get a COVID-19 vaccine expressed greater confidence in the vaccine development process than those who do not plan to get vaccinated.

But some Americans have a concern regarding vaccine access.

Just under half of US adults (48 percent) said it’s somewhat likely that everyone who wants the vaccine will have quick and easy access to it, while 51 percent said this may not be likely.

The number of Americans who would get an FDA approved vaccine has fallen from 72 percent in May, a 21-percentage point drop, researchers pointed out.

These findings suggest that rapid response efforts to get a COVID-19 vaccine developed may not pay off as much as pharmaceutical companies think, at least in the short term.

Overall, consumers value robust, accurate clinical trial data when it comes to getting vaccinated.

The Pew Research Center’s findings also differed from an August Gallup survey, which found that 65 percent of Americans would receive a vaccine if available, while 35 percent would not, which represented a 14 percent decrease in just a month.

In the Gallup survey, 67 percent of White Americans answered that they would be vaccinated, while just 59 percent of non-White Americans answered the same.

Additionally, 81 percent of Democrats said they were willing to be vaccinated today if a vaccine was available, while 59 percent of independents and 47 percent of Republicans answered the same.

But this resistance is not unprecedented. In 1954, just 60 percent of Americans said they would get the new polio vaccine. And today, willingness to receive a vaccine looks similar. 

“As the situation stands today, the nation's influencers—including health professionals, policymakers and leaders—who see a vaccine as a way forward may have their work cut out for them in persuading Americans to take advantage of such options,” researchers said in the August survey.

“Policymakers in government, healthcare, industry and education will need to anticipate that a significant proportion of the population will be hesitant to get a vaccine, even at no cost.”