42% of Adults, and 70% of Those Likely Booster-Eligible, Now Say They’ve Gotten a COVID-19 Booster Shot; The Share Who Received At Least One Dose Inches Up to 77% in Omicron’s Wake

Black and Hispanic adults are more likely than White adults to worry about the effects of Omicron, including serious illness or being absent from work due to infection

The latest KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor report shows that 42% of all adults nationwide have received a COVID-19 booster shot and more than three-quarters (77%) have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, a slight increase since November (73%) before the Omicron variant triggered a spike in cases, hospitalizations and deaths.

The small shift comes after vaccination rates stagnated in the fall but left relatively few unvaccinated adults open to vaccination. Only 1% plan to do it right away, 4% want to see how it works for others, and 3% say they would only do it if it was required for work, school or other activities. About 1 in 7 adults (14%) say they will “definitely not get a vaccine,” a proportion largely unchanged since December 2020.

The survey also found that most vaccinated people receive recommended booster shots. Overall, 42% of the population (and 55% of all vaccinated adults) report having received a booster shot.

Two-thirds (66%) of all adults 65 years and older and half (50%) of adults 50 to 64 years received a booster dose, reflecting early uptake of the primary vaccine. Likewise, Democrats (62%) are more likely to have received a booster shot than Independents (37%) and Republicans (32%).

Among the population likely to be eligible for a booster shot (those who have either received a booster shot or who have had a full first shot at least 6 months ago), 7 in 10 (70%) have received a booster shot. This rises to 86% for those over 65 and 77% for those aged 50 to 64 who are likely to be eligible for a booster shot.

Across all racial and ethnic groups, White adults (46%) are more likely to have received a booster shot than Black (31%) and Hispanic (37%) adults. This may reflect, at least in part, that some Black and Hispanic adults may not be eligible for a booster shot if their first vaccination course has recently been completed. However, there is evidence that uptake and access to booster vaccination may lag in the black adult population eligible for booster vaccination. Among the population likely to be eligible for a booster shot, 57% of Black adults received a booster shot compared to 69% of Hispanic adults and 72% of White adults.

Amid the Omicron wave, many are reporting challenges accessing COVID-19 tests

As COVID-19 cases reach unprecedented levels, nearly half (48%) of adults say they have attempted either an in-person COVID-19 test (33%) and/or a test in the past month to get home (28%).

Produced just as the Biden administration began promoting broader testing and providing policies to improve access, the report highlights efforts by people to get testing when they need it.

While most (65%) who have tried to find an in-person test in the past month say it was easy, a third (35%) say it was difficult. Rapid home tests presented an even greater challenge, with most (62%) who tried getting one saying it was difficult and just over a third (38%) saying it was easy.

Importantly, the vast majority (89%) of those who have attempted to get a COVID-19 personal test in the past month say they were able to get one. Still, 11% of those who tried to get a test (4% of all adults) say they couldn't get an in-person test, and 23% (7% of all adults) say they had to wait two days or more being checked.

A third of those who tried to take a home test (9% of all adults) say they were unable to get one, mainly because the tests were unavailable and not too expensive (91% versus 2% of those who who wanted to do a test at home). tried but didn't get a home test).

When asked who is to blame for the limited availability of COVID-19 tests, about half say the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) deserves at least some blame. Slightly fewer believe President Biden (44%) or test makers (41%) deserve at least some blame. The poll was in the field as President Biden announced people could start ordering free tests to take at home starting Jan. 19.

Black and Hispanic adults are more concerned than white adults about the effects of Omicron on them

About 4 in 10 adults (42%) say they are at least somewhat worried about getting the Omicron variant, although less worried about missing work (36%), becoming seriously ill ( 34%) or hospitalized (27%). as a result of a coronavirus infection.

Black and Hispanic adults and those on lower incomes are more likely to worry about these two factors. For example, most Hispanic (59%) and Black (54%) adults say they are concerned about contracting the omicron variant, while about a third (35%) of white adults are concerned. Similarly, Hispanic (57%) and Black (43%) adults are much more likely than White (27%) adults to say they worry about missing work due to an infection.

Two years into the pandemic, most of the public is tired and frustrated

Two years into the pandemic, three-quarters of the public say they are both tired (75%) and frustrated (73%) with the state of the pandemic, with more than 7 in 10 Democrats, Republicans and Independents reporting these emotions. Fewer people say they are optimistic (42%), angry (40%) or confused (29%).

Additionally, a large majority (77%) say it is inevitable that most people across the country will eventually get COVID-19. These include similar proportions among vaccinated (77%) and unvaccinated (74%), as well as among Democrats (74%), independents (78%), and Republicans (78%).

Despite widespread reports of vaccinated individuals testing positive for the Omicron variant, a substantial majority (62%) say they believe the vaccines are working because "most vaccinated individuals who have contracted COVID-19 infect, do not require hospitalization".

Far fewer (34%) say the vaccines don't work because "some vaccinated people get infected." The proportion who see these breakthrough infections as a sign the vaccines aren't working has increased slightly (26%) since September, driven by shifts in Republicans and unvaccinated adults.

A third (34%) of the population currently see the pandemic as the country's biggest problem, slightly more than the proportion who cite rising prices due to inflation (28%) as the biggest problem. Fewer mention climate change (9%), racial inequality (8%), crime (6%) or bottlenecks due to supply chain issues (5%).

Partisans rank these issues differently, with three times as many Republicans (44%) as Democrats (13%) saying inflation is the country's biggest problem, and more than twice as many Democrats (51%) as Republicans (19%) ) say that the pandemic is. Roughly equal proportions of independents cite inflation (30%) and the pandemic (28%) as the nation's biggest problem.

Other highlights are:

• Almost a quarter (23%) of adults nationwide say they have personally tested positive for COVID-19 at some point during the pandemic, including 8% who said they had tested positive in the past month. Among those who tested positive in the past month, 16% (equivalent to 1% of all adults) say they only used one at-home test, indicating the result is unlikely to be recorded in official case counts.
• About 1 in 5 adults (19%) said they have personally had difficulty figuring out whether they needed to isolate or limit their normal activities in the past few months, either after exposure to COVID-19, testing positive, or experience with it had made symptoms. Most (58%) say federal health agencies' guidelines for testing and isolation are confusing.
• The majority of the public say COVID-19 vaccinations should be mandatory for people traveling on airplanes internationally (62%) and domestically (55%). Majorities of Democrats and independents support such requirements, but most Republicans do not.
• About 7 in 10 (71%) adults say they fear restrictions aimed at stopping the spread of Omicron will hurt local businesses in their area. Majorities among partisans express concern about the impact of the restrictions on local businesses.

Designed and analyzed by KFF pollsters, the KFF Vaccine Monitor survey was conducted January 11-23, 2022 among a nationwide random representative sample of 1,536 adults. Interviews were conducted in English and Spanish via landline (165) and mobile (1,371). The sampling error is plus or minus 3 percentage points for the full sample. For results based on subgroups, the sampling error margin may be higher.

The KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor is an ongoing research project that tracks public attitudes and experiences with COVID-19 vaccination. Using a combination of surveys and qualitative research, this project tracks the dynamic nature of public opinion as vaccines are developed and distributed, including trust and hesitancy in vaccines, trusted messengers and messages, and public experiences with vaccination.