The American public’s willingness to get the COVID-19 vaccine is starting to level off, as most people who are eager to have the shots have gotten them, according to a new survey from the Kaiser Family Foundation. Now, only about one in ten Americans who want shots haven’t received them, according to the April results of KFF’s monthly tracking poll. Here are some of the other major takeaways.
Republicans Are More Eager to Get Vaccinated
The poll shows that a majority of Republicans — 55 percent — say they have already gotten a shot or plan to do so, a big uptick from 46 percent in March. That’s compared to 79 percent of Democrats and 59 percent of independents. Perhaps more importantly, the percentage of Republicans who will “definitely not” get the vaccine is shrinking as well: Just 20 percent of them say they will definitely not get vaccinated, down from 29 percent in April.
The Racial Divide in Hesitancy Is Shrinking
After months of concern about increased vaccine hesitancy among minority groups, about six in ten Black adults and two-thirds of Hispanics say they’ve gotten or plan to get the jab — a slight improvement over previous months. People of color surveyed said lack of information and access were the main barriers to them getting vaccinated.
J&J Pause Decreased Confidence in the Shot
The survey also found that last month’s pause of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine by federal regulators resulted in fewer Americans being willing to get that vaccine. After reports of rare blood clots led to temporary suspension of the shot, 9 percent of unvaccinated adults said they were less likely to get the one-shot jab; 7 percent said it made them less likely to want any of the vaccines. The pause had a particular effect on Hispanic women: According to the survey, 39 percent of Hispanic women said the pause changed their thinking on vaccines.
Parents Divided on Vaccinating Their Children
Among parents who were surveyed, three in ten said that they will get their child vaccinated as soon as a shot is authorized for their kids’ age group. But a similar share of parents, about one-third, say that they will wait until more kids have received the vaccines. The remaining third of parents say that they will definitely not get their kids vaccinated or will do so only if a child’s school requires it.
