KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor: Attitudes Towards COVID-19 Vaccination Among Black Women and Men

The latest from the KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor shows that black men (45%) and women (41%) are more likely than other groups to want to wait and see how the COVID-19 vaccine works for others before they get it themselves, which makes it a prime target for public health officials who want to increase vaccination rates equitably.

This analysis examines similarities and differences in attitudes of black men and women towards COVID-19 vaccination. The highlights include:

• Providing accurate information about side effects can be key to communicating with this group. Among those who have not yet been vaccinated, large proportions of black women (87%) and men (61%) say they fear that a COVID-19 vaccine could have serious side effects. Many black women (69%) and men (65%) who have not yet received the vaccine say they do not have enough information about the side effects of the vaccine.
• Roughly one in five (19%) black women say they “definitely won't” be vaccinated against COVID-19, more than the proportion of black men (7%) who say the same. This greater reluctance may be related to black women's increasing concerns about side effects. Among those not yet vaccinated, many more black women (68%) than men (38%) say they are worried about getting COVID-19 from a vaccine, suggesting that learning that is not happening is could influence their decision.
• About half of black women (53%) and men (45%) say they trust the health system to do "only some" or "almost none" of the time what is right for them and their community. This suggests that eliminating historical ill-treatment and inequalities in the vaccine distribution process could help fuel efforts towards reluctant vaccination among both black women and men.

The new analysis, available through the monitor's online dashboard, also examines the news leading to black men and women being more or less likely to want to be vaccinated, as well as their confidence in the fairness of vaccine distribution efforts.

The KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor is an ongoing research project that tracks public attitudes and experiences with COVID-19 vaccinations. Using a combination of surveys and qualitative research, this project tracks the dynamics of public opinion during the development and diffusion of vaccines, including the trust and reluctance of vaccines, trusted ambassadors and messages, and the public's experience with vaccines.