Over a quarter of Americans say they will not get vaccinated for COVID-19: poll

About a quarter of Americans said they will “definitely not” get the coronavirus vaccine, according to a new poll from the Kaiser Family Foundation.

The survey found concerns about possible side effects to be the most common reason for hesitancy to take the vaccine, with 59 percent of people who said they did not intend to take it citing that as the main reason.

But there were other reasons as well, with people citing more than one factor.

Fifty-five percent of those saying they would not take the vaccine mentioned distrust the government would ensure the vaccine is safe, 53 percent cited concerns the drug is too new and 51 percent expressed worries that the development process has been politicized.

Among Black adults, a demographic disproportionately affected by the pandemic, about 35 percent say they definitely or probably will not get the vaccine. Forty-seven percent of those respondents cited general distrust of vaccines, with another 50 percent saying they are worried they may get the virus from the vaccine.

Other demographics more likely to say they will not get the vaccine include Republicans, at 42 percent, people between the ages of 30-49, at 36 percent, and those living in rural areas, at 35 percent.

The poll did find that the number of people who say they will “definitely” or “probably” get the vaccine is rising.

Seventy-one percent said they would definitely or probably get the vaccine, a jump from 63 percent in September.

The increase applied to all racial and ethnic groups and among both Democrats and Republicans. The percentage of independents who say they are likely to take the vaccine did not change, holding steady at 67 percent.

The survey found 71 percent of the public expects the vaccine to be readily available for anyone who wants it by next summer, including about 30 percent who expect it sooner.

Public health officials have said the first people to receive the vaccine will include people in vulnerable categories and front-line workers, including health care workers.

Researchers surveyed 1,676 adults from Nov. 30-Dec. 8. The survey has a 3-point margin of error.