1 in 4 Americans Will Refuse COVID-19 Vaccine

A new poll from Monmouth University reports that 1 in 4 Americans will refuse offers for coronavirus vaccines, even if it’s for free. Another 21% prefer other people to get the vaccine first before they can decide if they’re getting it too. 

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The poll, conducted by Monmouth University between February 25 to March 1, reported that the numbers virtually duplicate the results from January (24% and 19%). In addition, 16% of respondents say that they received their vaccination already. Meanwhile, 38% plan to get their shot as soon as they get authorization to do so. 

Herd Immunity is Far Away

Health experts believe that herd immunity will require 70-80% of the population to get vaccines. However, this target remains difficult to achieve as 24% of the population are minors. Presently approved coronavirus vaccines do not have clearance for use by children below 18.  

Bloomberg reports that so far, the US issued a total of 93.7 million vaccine doses. As of last week, US health services administered around 2.15 million doses per day. Despite the rollout of three vaccine brands (Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, and Pfizer-BioNTech) and an increased rate of daily vaccinations, some Americans remain hesitant about the effects of the coronavirus vaccine.  

Americans Will Refuse Vaccines Based on Party Line

The poll showed that resistance to the vaccine falls under party lines. 36% of Republican Americans will refuse vaccines. 6% of Democrats polled will refuse the vaccine. Surprisingly, 31% of Americans who identified themselves as independent also don’t want to do anything with the vaccine. 

Meanwhile, a bipartisan majority of Americans say they feel generally satisfied with the rollout of coronavirus vaccines. 69% of Democrats and 58% of Republicans, as well as 54% of independents, approved of the rollout. However, the numbers on the degree of satisfaction remain mixed. 18% answered very satisfied while 42% responded with somewhat satisfied. 22% say they feel dissatisfied, and 13% say they feel very dissatisfied. 

Return to Normal 

In addition, the Monmouth poll asked how soon do Americans think they can return to normal pre-pandemic activities. One in five adults (21%) said that normalcy will return by summer. 40% said they think normal will need at least until the end of the year, while 27% think it will take longer. 6% of Americans believe nothing will return to normal. 

“Most Americans feel that ‘normal' is still many months away and perhaps a little farther down the road than initially hoped for during [President Joe] Biden's first days in office,” said Patrick Murray. He is the director of the independent Monmouth University Polling Institute.

Less Worry About Family Getting Sick

The same survey also asked Americans about their levels of worry over infected family members. 40% reported they remain very concerned with the family member over coronavirus.  Meanwhile, 28% reported being somewhat concerned about the virus reaching their families. The results showed a significant decline compared to 47% in September and 50% in November last year. Earlier this year, it hit 60%.

Watch the Bloomberg Quick Take video reporting that the world administered more than 312 million covid vaccine doses

Do you plan to get your vaccines as soon as you can? Or, will you adopt a wait-and-see attitude? Let us know what you think of the coronavirus vaccine and how you plan to deal with it once it becomes available. Share your comments below.