Third of Americans Would Pass on COVID-19 Vaccine If Ready Today

August 12, 2020 - When asked if they would get an FDA-approved and affordable COVID-19 vaccine, 65 percent of Americans answered that they would, while 35 percent would not, according to a recent Gallup survey.

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Gallup’s COVID-19 tracking survey took place from July 20 to August 2nd. 

The survey found that just 70 percent of senior citizens said they would get a vaccine despite evidence that older Americans are more likely to suffer from serious complications from COVID-19. 

Willingness to be vaccinated was lower among the middle-aged groups. Sixty-four percent of individuals 30 to 49 years old and 59 percent among individuals between 50 and 64 years old said they would be vaccinated.

About 76 percent of adults aged 18 to 29 said they would get a vaccine.

White Americans were also more likely to say they would get vaccinated if the FDA approved an affordable COVID-19 vaccine.

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

“This is particularly noteworthy, given media reports in the pandemic noting that Black and Latino Americans have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19,” researchers said. 

Gallup also noted that party preferences play a strong role in American’s views on a COVID-19 vaccine. 

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

The survey also found that just 56 percent of Americans in rural areas were willing to get vaccinated, while more than 65 percent of Americans living in a large city, 69 percent of Americans living in a suburb of a large city, and 68 percent of those living in small towns or villages would be willing to receive a vaccine.

But this resistance is not unprecedented, researchers said. 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 an option. 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,” researchers said.

The 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. Consumers value robust, accurate clinical trial data when it comes to getting vaccinated.

Experts are worried that the vaccine development will be undermined if Americans refuse to get a COVID-19 vaccine. 

And the reason that many Americans are hesitant about receiving a vaccine is lack of trust in scientists and the government. Experts must find a way of overcoming this fear.

“We need to find ways of reaching out to people who hesitate populations trust and have them deliver the messages rather than it coming necessarily from government,” Walter Orenstein, MD, Emory Vaccine Center, said in an article.

Orenstein also stressed that although Americans may believe that the government is rushing vaccine development, FDA is applying the brakes and requiring drug-developers to prove that vaccines are safe through clinical trials.

“Operation Warp Speed, unfortunately, while it seemed to be a good term originally, has led people to question whether the vaccines that come out will actually be safe and effective, or corners will be cut,” he explained. 

Overall, a vaccine should not become available until it is proven to be safe and effective.