KFF Launches New COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor to Track the Public’s Confidence in the Vaccine and Experiences for the Duration of the Pandemic

Republicans and black Americans tend to be hesitant, but even among these groups the reasons vary

KFF has launched a new COVID-19 vaccine monitor to delve deep into the public's views on the vaccine and how it will last as long as the pandemic.

The first results released today show that American enthusiasm for COVID-19 vaccination varies widely from group to group, with Republicans and black Americans being the most reluctant.

Overall, 71% of the public say they would definitely or likely get a vaccine, up from 63% in September. Still about a quarter (27%) of the population are hesitant about vaccines, saying that they probably (12%) or definitely (15%) would not get a COVID-19 vaccine, even if it were available for free and considered safe by scientists would be classified.

Reluctance remains highest among Republicans (42%), 30-49 year olds (36%), rural residents (35%) and black adults (35%), a group disproportionately affected by the pandemic.

Some black adults hesitate for reasons that may change with more information. For example: 71% of those who say they won't be vaccinated say they are worried about possible side effects (expected to be mild) and half (50%) fear getting COVID to get. 19 from the vaccine. Almost as many hesitant black adults (47%) say they are reluctant to get the COVID-19 vaccine because they generally do not trust vaccines.

Among another large group of reluctant Republicans – Republicans – the top reasons for not vaccinating may be more difficult to change, including the assumption that the dangers of COVID-19 are exaggerated (57% of reluctant Republicans cite this as the main reason) and that they are Do not trust the government to make sure a vaccine is safe and effective (56%). Almost as many (54%) also worry about possible side effects.

“Many who hesitate are in waiting mode. Her concerns include concerns about side effects and whether the vaccine can cause COVID-19, which can resolve as people get more information and successfully introduce the vaccine to people known to Drew Altman, President and CEO of KFF.

The first Monitor survey identified four broad categories of excitement for vaccination that present different messaging challenges:

• A third of the public (34%) belong to the most enthusiastic “as soon as possible” group who want to get vaccinated as soon as possible. This group disproportionately consists of Democrats, seniors, white adults, and people with college degrees. Some in this group can be frustrated if they are not among the priority groups getting vaccinations early.
• The “wait and see” group is the largest group at 39% and generally wants to see how vaccinations work for other people before they are given themselves. This group looks like the general public, and their willingness to get vaccinated may depend on what they learned when they were first introduced, including news about their effectiveness, safety, and side effects.
• The “only if necessary” group is the smallest group at 9% and states that they are only vaccinated if this is necessary for work, school or other activities. Most (61%) of this group are key workers who will work outside of their homes during the pandemic, a category classified as high risk of exposure.
• The most resistant group, representing 15% of the public, says they would "definitely not" be vaccinated even if it were considered safe and available for free. This group consists of a disproportionately large number of Republicans and people with only one high school education.

“Many Americans who hesitate simply reserve their judgment before they are ready to be vaccinated. However, almost one in four Republicans would not want to be vaccinated because they do not believe COVID is a serious threat, ”said Mollyann Brodie, executive vice president of KFF. "It will be a real challenge to reverse COVID denialism in this part of President Trump's political base."

Those who are more reluctant to get vaccinated against COVID-19 are also more likely to have misconceptions about the pandemic and related public health actions, which can lead to them for embassies in the field of public health in general are less receptive, including those about the importance of vaccinations.

For example, two-thirds (68%) of the “definitely not” group and more than one third (37%) of the “only when needed” group mistakenly believe that wearing a face mask does not protect the wearer from coronavirus. Similarly, more than half (54%) of the "definitely not" group and about three in ten (29%) of the "only when necessary" group believe that wearing a face mask is harmful.

Personal health care providers are the public's most trusted sources of vaccine information

As with many health topics, the survey finds that people's personal health care providers are high on the list as a trusted source of vaccine information, ahead of any national, state, or local messenger.

More than eight in ten (85%) say they trust their own doctor or health care provider to provide reliable information about a COVID-19 vaccine, while about seven in ten also use national messengers such as the U.S. Centers for the Disease control and prevention (73%) trust the Food and Drug Administration (70%) and the director of the National Institute for Allergies and Infectious Diseases, Dr. Anthony Fauci (68%), as well as their local health department (70%).

Slightly fewer, but still the majority, at least adequately trusted their government officials (58%), President-elect Joe Biden (57%), and pharmaceutical companies (53%), while about a third (34%) say they trust President Trump.

Trust in personal doctors is high among all races and ethnic groups and among all partisan groups. However, when it comes to government information sources, a far larger proportion of Democrats than Republicans say they trust such sources to provide reliable information about a COVID-19 vaccine, with independents generally falling in the middle.

The survey shows that the race to develop a vaccine helps improve the public's view of pharmaceutical companies. Most (58%) of the public say that pharmaceutical companies working on a COVID-19 vaccine are equally interested in the common good and making a profit. This is in stark contrast to the view of the public in July, which saw the majority of the public (76%) say that drug manufacturers in general are primarily concerned with profits.

The poll was designed and analyzed by the pollster from the KFF and carried out from November 30th to December 30th. 8 among a nationally representative sample of 1,676 adults with free choice, including over-sampling of adults who are black (390) or Spanish (298). The interviews were conducted in English and Spanish by landline (391) and mobile phone (1,285). 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 focus groups, this project will monitor the dynamics of public responses in the course of vaccine development, including trust and hesitation in the vaccine, trusted ambassadors and messages, and the public's experience of vaccination at the beginning of its diffusion.