COVID-19: New poll shows why some hesitant Americans decided to get vaccinated

[ad_1]

The survey reached out to first-timers in January to see how their opinions have evolved on the issue. The foundation found that those who decided to get vaccinated after saying they weren’t sure or didn’t intend to get vaccinated “often say that family, friends and their personal doctors helped change their minds.” Somehow firm decisions were made in January and they haven’t budged since. Of those who were not vaccinated at the beginning of the year, only about 8% changed their minds – the rest either stuck to their initial choice or started unsure of what they would eventually do.

But those who have already changed their minds or made decisions after initial skepticism often decide in favor of the vaccine. Not only were 92% of those who intended to get vaccinated, but 54% of those who said they planned to wait and see, as well as 24% of those who initially said they would definitely not get the vaccine or would only get it if needed. By contrast, only 8% of those on the fence last January said they definitely decided not to get the shot.

Of those who decided to get vaccinated after they were initially unsure, nearly half said they were convinced of something they had learned or heard, and 36% said they had been persuaded by someone they spoke to.

RELATED: Tracking Covid-19 Vaccines in the US

A quarter of people who got vaccinated after initially hesitating said they received reassurance to see other people receiving the vaccine without ill effects. Many reported that their family and friends got the shot; A woman said she was convinced of the vaccine’s safety after President Joe Biden was vaccinated.

“I became convinced that some of the rumored side effects weren’t true,” a Colorado man, a 69-year-old independent politician who initially said he would only get the vaccine if needed, told the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Others who eventually decided to get vaccinated cited pressure from family and friends (8%) or a desire to visit loved ones safely (3%).

A 42-year-old woman from Indiana told pollsters in January that she definitely wouldn’t get the shot. But this summer she mentioned that she had been vaccinated: “My husband is teasing me to get it and I’ve given up.”

You asked, we answer: Your top questions about Covid-19 and vaccines

Reassurance and recommendations from physicians and health care providers also played a role (11%). A 28-year-old Iowa woman said she initially stopped because she was worried about getting the vaccine while breastfeeding, but had heard from doctors that she would be able to give her child the antibodies.

Some said they chose to get vaccinated because of restrictions on unvaccinated people — one man, for example, because he needed to be vaccinated to visit the Bahamas.

About 56.2% of Americans 12 and older were fully vaccinated as of Monday, and vaccination rates remain dangerously low in states like Alabama, Mississippi and Arkansas, which are also seeing some of the worst daily coronavirus infection rates in the country.

The Kaiser Family Foundation survey found that about one-fifth of adults who remain unvaccinated cited side effects as the main reason for not receiving the vaccination. Others remained concerned about the safety of the vaccine, or said they saw no benefit in getting it.

“My husband got the vaccine and all the side effects,” said a 42-year-old Hispanic California woman who said she decided not to get the vaccine. “I can’t get sick, I’m the rock of the family.”

Although the persuasive share of the public has dwindled since January, it hasn’t gone away. A tenth of Americans still say they are waiting to see how the vaccine works with others before they make their own decisions.

The KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Observatory surveyed 878 US adults June 15-23, using a representative online national panel. All respondents had previously participated in the January survey. The margin of error for sampling, including the design effect for the full sample, is plus or minus 4 percentage points for the June survey.

.

[ad_2]