KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor Probes Americans’ Experiences Trying to Sign Up for a Vaccine and to Find Relevant Information

Many relied on someone else's help to get a vaccine appointment

As many states and local authorities step up their COVID-19 vaccination efforts, this is the latest KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitoring Report provides a first detailed look into the experience of Americans trying to gather relevant information and register for a vaccination.

The report shows that many elderly Americans have successfully navigated the system to get vaccinated, although a significant minority are frustrated and have not been able to register for a shot.

Among those aged 65 and over – a group that can be vaccinated in almost all countries – around half have either already received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine (44%) or an appointment (8%). . Another 16% said they could make an appointment but were unable to do so.

Most older adults who were vaccinated or tried to get an appointment said the process was easy to navigate, but 43% said it was difficult. This could be due to difficulties in navigating the registration system or the demand for vaccines exceeding the supply in their area.

Older college-educated adults who may be better able to navigate enrollment systems are more likely than those who haven't graduated to report having received or scheduled their first dose (65% versus 46%) .

The new report, available through the monitor's online dashboard, also examines other aspects of people's experiences trying to obtain a COVID-19 vaccine and accessing relevant information. The main takeaways include:

• Among adults of all ages who were vaccinated, 39% said someone else helped them get the appointment. On the other hand, a third (33%) of all adults say they helped someone else find information about when and where to get vaccinated, and almost a quarter (23%) said they helped someone get one Make a vaccine appointment.
• Although there are many anecdotes about children and grandchildren helping older relatives get appointments, people 65 and over are more likely than younger adults to report helping someone else (43% helped others find information, and 32% helped someone get a vaccine appointment).
• Among those who have not yet received the vaccine, nearly two-thirds (63%) say they don't have enough information about when to get the vaccine, and nearly half (45%) say they don't have a vaccine received enough information about where to go. In addition, more than half (54%) say they don't know enough about possible side effects.
• Three-quarters of adults who are open to vaccinations say they would be very likely to get them at their doctor's office, if available. Most also say they would very likely get it at a local pharmacy (61%) or hospital (55%), and about half say so about a community health clinic (49%) or their workplace (48%). When asked about their preferred location, 38% chose their doctor's office, followed by a local pharmacy (15%), a hospital (9%) or their workplace (8%).

The KFF Vaccine Monitor survey, designed and analyzed by KFF public pollsters, was conducted February 15-23 among a nationwide representative sample of 1,874 adults using random digits, including an over-sample of adults who were black (507) or Spanish (506) ) are. . The interviews were conducted in English and Spanish by landline (339) and mobile phone (1,535). The margin of error in the sample is plus or minus 3 percentage points for the entire sample. Results based on subgroups may have a higher sampling error rate.

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 acceptance of vaccines, the need for information, trusted ambassadors and messages, and the public's experience of vaccines.