Most Americans to celebrate holiday with those outside immediate households: poll

Most Americans say they are planning to celebrate Thanksgiving with friends or family members from outside their immediate households, according to a new poll.

The survey, conducted by Axios and Ipsos, found that 67 percent of U.S. adults are planning to see friends and family from outside of their household during the upcoming holiday.

That group includes 73 percent of Republicans, 70 percent of independents and 63 percent of Democrats.

The new polling numbers come as the U.S. is gearing up for its second Thanksgiving amid the coronavirus pandemic, though this year is different from last due to widespread vaccination and more people feeling a sense of control over the virus.

Thirty-one percent of respondents said they see a large or moderate risk in gathering with friends or family for Thanksgiving this year, which, according to Axios, is significantly down from the 64 percent tracked in 2020.

More than 73 percent of individuals in the U.S. ages 5 and older are at least partially vaccinated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Additionally, more than 18 percent of individuals in the U.S. have received a booster shot, which was recently authorized for all adults.

Thirty percent of respondents said they are planning to see family or friends from outside their household who are not vaccinated, while 17 percent said they are unsure if the other guests have gotten their jabs.

There was, however, a stark partisan gap when assessing the vaccination status of guests at Thanksgiving gatherings. According to the poll, 41 percent of Republicans said they plan to spend the holiday with someone who is not inoculated, compared to 17 percent of Democrats.

Leading infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci on Sunday said family members who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 can “absolutely” gather inside without masks during the upcoming holiday. He did, however, urge caution to those who have not gotten their shots, asking them to “please be careful.”

A larger percentage of adults also appear to be more comfortable with returning to their normal pre-pandemic lives. The poll found that 44 percent of U.S. adults see returning to their normal lives as a large to moderate risk, compared to 72 percent last year.

Concern about the virus, however, remained high, with 69 percent of respondents saying they are concerned about the possibility of getting sick. One year ago, 85 percent of people said the same, according to Axios.

The poll, conducted Nov. 19-22, surveyed 1,023 adults. The margin of sampling error is 3.3 percentage points.