Only 57% of Americans say they will get the COVID-19 vaccine

Despite widespread agreement among experts that having a prophylactic COVID-19 vaccine is important to the state’s ability to return safely to normal conditions, COVID if available today -19 To a national study designed and analyzed by Tufts University’s Health, Wealth and Equity Equity Research Group, which only 57% of Americans say will get the vaccine.

A nationally representative study also revealed significant variability in vaccination acceptance by race/ethnicity. Household income, Educational background and party affiliation. Whites and Hispanics, Democrats, and more Formal education,and Higher income It is reported that they are more likely to be vaccinated than Republican blacks. education, And people with low income. One-quarter of respondents said they didn’t know if they would get a vaccine, and perhaps more Public health education And information.

“I’m really worried that only 57% of people said they would get the vaccine,” said Jennifer Allen. It’s clear that we need to get started.” He is a professor of community health at Tufts University School of Arts and Sciences and a co-leader of research. “There are still some uncertainties, but some studies show that 60-70% of the population need to be vaccinated to confer collective immunity.”

Over the past decade, resistance to all vaccines in the United States has increased, resulting in reduced compliance with vaccine recommendations and the recurrence of previously well-controlled diseases such as measles and mumps. It was Misinformation about the vaccine, including the widespread theory that vaccination can cause autism, has heightened sentiment against vaccination.

Whites and Hispanics most likely to be vaccinated

The study also revealed significant differences in vaccination across racial groups and reported vaccination compared to 58% of non-Hispanic whites and 48% of non-Hispanic blacks.

“The pandemic has overly affected black individuals,” Allen said. “The low level of vaccine acceptance within this population is worrisome as it suggests that the vaccine may further exacerbate the racial/ethnic disparities in COVID-19. Medical Experiments with African Americans Given the heritage, there is a distrust in medicine and government.”

Allen will continue. “Accelerated vaccine development and testing timeframes could raise further concerns about the safety and efficacy of the final vaccine. Targeting vaccines to prevent them from further expanding the health outcome gap Will need to be tackled.”

Income and education are factors

Surprisingly, those with high levels of income and education were more likely to report receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. “Historically, the people most likely to refuse the vaccine were those with higher levels of income and education,” Allen said.

Only 41% of those who earn less than $20,000 said they would be vaccinated, but 72% of those who earned more than $150,000. Less than half of those who were educated in high school or lower said they would get the vaccine, compared to 74% of those who were educated in college.

Differences between political parties

The sudden polarization due to political party affiliation also emerged as a response. The willingness to vaccinate was highest in the Democratic Party (71%) compared to independents (61%) and Republicans (47%).

“The differences between political parties are amazing. Like many aspects of the pandemic, vaccination is a very partisan issue,” said Peter Levine, associate dean of Tufts’ Tissue Civic Life University. .. “The faction gap may hinder widespread vaccination.”

Public health authorities, clinicians, and pharmaceutical companies are competing for the development of the COVID-19 vaccine, but distribution and management should involve health communication, promotion, and educational campaigns if a successful vaccine becomes available. Is clear, said Tom Stopka, an epidemiology of infectious diseases, an associate professor of Tufts University School of Medicine, and a co-leader of research. “Such campaigns help to increase understanding of how vaccines work, reduce skepticism and distrust of local, state, and federal officials, and the potential for vaccine benefits to far outweigh the risks. It is useful for showing.”

Stopka also said: “The US population is overwhelmed by the information and stress of COVID-19, as well as the drastic changes in everyday life. vaccine Community members are required to make informed decisions to protect themselves and protect families and locals when available and thoroughly tested in human populations You also need to develop a large public health communications campaign that provides relevant information. community. “

The survey was conducted online by Ipsos using the Knowledge Panel. The sample was a national representative with a total of 1,267 complete responses.