COVID-19 Vaccine Survey: Majority of Americans Show Hesitancy Towards Vaccination, Partisan Divide Evident

THURSDAY, Sept. 28, 2023 (HealthDay News) — Only 23% of American adults say they ‘definitely’ will get vaccinated with the new COVID-19 vaccine, while another 23% say they ‘probably’ will, according to a new survey. Interest in the vaccine was also found to vary along partisan lines.

More people plan to get vaccinated against the seasonal flu and the new vaccine to help prevent severe symptoms of respiratory syncytial virus, RSV.

The survey, conducted by the nonprofit KFF, breaks down what Americans think about vaccination and their trust in public health agencies.

“Poll shows that the majority of the nation still trusts the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ) regarding vaccines. However, there is a partisan divide and most Republicans do not trust the national scientific and regulatory agencies responsible for vaccine approval and guidance,” Drew Altman, president, said in a news release. and CEO of KFF.

Less than half of Americans (46%) say they will “definitely” or “probably” get the new dose of the COVID vaccine, a higher percentage than those who have received previous boosters, although still lower than those who received the vaccines initials in 2020.

Regarding the 37% of people who previously received a COVID vaccine, they say they will “probably” or “definitely” not get the new dose.

Interest is highest among those 65 and older (64%) and among Democrats (70%). Only about 24% of Republicans plan to get vaccinated.

Parents have some concerns about getting the new vaccine for their children. More than half say they “probably” or “definitely” will not vaccinate their children with the booster.

About 39% of parents plan to vaccinate their children ages 12 to 17, as do 36% of those with children ages 5 to 11 and 34% of those with children ages 6 months to 4 years.

Survey suggests more people will get flu shots.

About 58% of adults have already received a flu vaccine or expect to receive one. About 60% of those over 60 said they have already received or expect to receive the new RSV vaccine.

KFF surveyed nearly 1,300 American adults between September 6 and 13, online and by phone. The interviews were conducted in English and Spanish. The overall margin of error is plus or minus four percentage points.

Even with increased interest in flu and RSV vaccines, partisan divides are still evident. The survey shows a 25-point gap in interest in these vaccines: 76% of Democrats and 51% of Republicans have gotten a flu shot. For the RSV vaccine, the gap by political affiliation was even larger, 38 points, among those age 60 and older. It is worth mentioning that the vaccine is recommended for this age group.

Confidence in the safety of vaccines also follows partisan lines. 36% of Republicans trust the COVID vaccine is safe, compared to 84% of Democrats.

The partisan divide extends to trust in public health agencies.

About 63% of Americans say they trust the CDC, including 88% of Democrats and 40% of Republicans. Overall, 61% trust the FDA, including 86% of Democrats and 44% of Republicans.

Republican confidence in local health departments is higher (51%).

KFF also noted partisan differences in perceptions of health threats, precautions such as wearing masks or avoiding large public gatherings, and getting COVID testing.

Democrats are more likely than Republicans to agree that news of a new wave of COVID infections in the United States has led them to take precautions such as wearing masks or avoiding large public gatherings.

Republicans are less likely than Democrats (9% vs. 19%) to say they were sick recently and got tested for COVID.

Despite those divisions, people on both sides of the political spectrum expressed confidence in their own doctors, including their children’s pediatricians.

About 15% of respondents said they wanted to get a COVID test but couldn’t find or afford one, including 25% of Black adults, 21% of Hispanic adults and 21% of those with household incomes less than $40,000. dollars annually.

Higher percentages of people supported vaccination against other diseases, including 68% of all adults and 55% of parents who said healthy children should be required to be vaccinated against measles, mumps and rubella to attend the public school.

More information

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more information about the COVID-19 vaccine update.

SOURCE: KFF, press release, September 27, 2023.

2023-09-28 20:00:00
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