Half of people who wanted to ‘wait and see’ earlier this year now vaccinated, research says

Half of the people who wanted to “wait and see” before getting the coronavirus vaccine earlier this year have now gotten a shot, according to the KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor, a project tracking public attitudes about the vaccine.

KFF surveyed a group of people in January and put them into four categories: those who said they were getting the vaccine “as soon as possible,” people who wanted to “wait and see,” an “only get vaccinated if required” category and those who would “definitely not” get it. 

The group went back and surveyed the same people six months later, finding 54 percent of individuals who said they wanted to “wait and see” for the vaccine has received at least one shot of it. 

Ninety-two percent of those who said they would get the vaccine “as soon as possible” have received it six months later.

Many who were hesitant to get the vaccine because of potential side effects said they wound up getting it because they saw or were convinced by family and friends who also did. 

In the categories of wait and see, only getting vaccinated if required and definitely not getting the vaccine, 17 percent say they were convinced to get the vaccine by a family member and 5 percent say a friend convinced them. 

One-fourth of the people who said they would get the vaccine as soon as possible or wanted to wait and see are still unvaccinated. Six percent of that group says they have moved into the definitely not getting the vaccine or only getting it if it’s required groups.

The most common reason against the vaccine is fear of the side effects, although severe reactions are very uncommon as millions have received the vaccine without an issue. 

Federal and state health officials are still working to get those who are more hesitant the vaccine as coronavirus cases begin to rise among the unvaccinated in the country.