Vaccine Monitor: 6 in 10 Adults Have Either Gotten a COVID-19 Vaccine or Want To “as Soon as Possible;” “Wait and See” Group Continues To Shrink

The latest report from the KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor shows that there is growing excitement for the further expansion of a COVID-19 vaccine. About 6 out of 10 adults (61%) state that they have already received at least one dose (32%) or want to be vaccinated as soon as possible (30%).

That was an overall increase of 55% in February and 47% in January as more people say they have been vaccinated and fewer say they want to wait and see how the vaccine affects others before they receive it themselves (17% now im Compared to 22)% in February and 31% in January).

A quarter (24%) of black adults would like to continue to “wait and see” before being vaccinated, compared with a third (34%) in February, but still slightly higher than the proportion of white adults (16%).

Around one in five adults (20%) still hesitate to vaccinate. Either he says he would only do this if it was necessary for work, school, or other activities (7%) or he would definitely not be vaccinated (13%). The groups most likely to say “definitely not” about a vaccine include Republicans (29%) and White Evangelical Christians (28%).

"As more people become vaccinated and the 'wait and see' group shrinks rapidly, public outreach efforts may increasingly target people with deeper resistance," said Drew Altman, President and CEO of KFF.

Most people now say they know enough about when and where to get vaccinated

For the first time, a majority of those who have not yet been vaccinated say they have enough information about where (67%) and when (53%) they can be vaccinated, although the report also finds a sizable minority that the key vaccine is lack of information.

Overall, 3 in 10 unvaccinated people say they don't know if they are currently eligible to receive a vaccine in their state. The uncertain proportion is highest among Hispanic adults (45%), those under 30 years of age (39%) with annual household incomes less than $ 40,000 per year (37%), and those without a college degree (35%).

Of all adults who have not been vaccinated but believe they are eligible, about a third said they made an appointment for the COVID-19 vaccine, including roughly equal proportions who said they (16%) and not (17)%) are able to plan an appointment successfully.

"As vaccines have increased and more people are eligible for a shot, more people appear to be able to find their way around the system – although important information gaps remain, especially for people with low incomes and lower levels of education," said Mollyann Brodie , Executive Vice President.

Information and incentives for employers could encourage more people to get vaccinated

This month's monitor is also testing various pieces of information to see if it affects those who haven't been vaccinated or who hope to get vaccinated as soon as possible. Some of the most effective hear that:

• The vaccines are nearly 100% effective in preventing hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19 (41% say this would make them more likely to be vaccinated).
• Scientists have been working on the technology of the new COVID-19 vaccines (32%) for 20 years.
• The vaccine is free (27%).
• More than 100,000 people of different backgrounds and ethnicities participated in the vaccine trials (26%).
• The vast majority of doctors who were offered the vaccine took it (26%).

The monitor also examines the potential of employers to promote vaccination through amenities and financial incentives.

A quarter (25%) of workers who are not yet convinced they will get a vaccine right away say they are more likely to do so if their employer arranges a medical service provider to give the vaccine to them at work.

Almost as many (19%) say they are more likely to be vaccinated if their employer offers an additional $ 50 if they are vaccinated, and that percentage rises to 22% for a financial incentive of $ 200.

The public is almost equally divided over whether an employer should be allowed to require certain workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Half (51%) say this and almost as many (45%) say it shouldn't. This split reflects a sharp partisan difference: most Democrats (70%) said employers should be allowed to ask for vaccinations, and most Republicans (71%) said they shouldn't.

Across the board, the information and incentives tested are most effective in persuading the “wait and see” group to get vaccinated and, to a lesser extent, “only when needed”. Few of those who say they "definitely won't get the vaccine" say that incentives or messages would increase their likelihood of getting vaccinated.

Most who are open to vaccinations do not prefer a specific vaccine

There are now three vaccines in the United States. About half (46%) of those who are open to vaccinations have no preference as to which they receive, while about a quarter (24%) have a slight preference and slightly more (28%) have a strong one.

Among those open to vaccination, similar stocks say they would definitely or likely receive the single-dose vaccine from Johnson & Johnson (69%), as well as the two-dose vaccines from Pfizer (70%) and Moderna (67%) .

The report suggests that a single dose vaccine would appeal to a significant audience. Among those who preferred one vaccine to another, the main reason was the ease of a single dose vaccine (24% said so). Other reasons include their perception of the relative effectiveness of vaccines (14%), hearing good or better things about a particular vaccine compared to others (7%), and worries about side effects or a reaction to a particular vaccine.

Designed and analyzed by KFF public pollsters, the KFF Vaccine Monitor survey was conducted March 15-22 among a nationwide representative sample of 1,862 adults with random dial choices, including over-sampling of adults who were black (490) or Spanish (476) are . The interviews were conducted in English and Spanish by landline (356) and mobile phone (1,506). 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 reluctance of vaccines, trusted ambassadors and messages, and the public's experience of vaccines.