Fear of Delta variant drives Americans to get vaccinated, study finds



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The Delta variant of the coronavirus was the main reason people decided to get vaccinated against Covid-19 this summer and why most say they will receive boosters when they are eligible, according to the latest monthly attitude survey against vaccines from the Kaiser Family Foundation, released Tuesday morning. But the survey said nearly three-quarters of unvaccinated Americans see the boosters very differently, saying their need shows vaccines don’t work.

This division suggests that while it may be relatively easy to persuade those vaccinated to queue for an additional injection, the need for reminders may complicate efforts by public health officials to persuade remaining unvaccinated people to get their injection. initial injection.

Another takeaway from the Kaiser Family Foundation investigation: for all the carrots hanging to entice people hesitant to get vaccinated against Covid – cash, donuts, racing privileges – more credit for the recent increase in the vaccination comes back to the bar. Almost 40% of those newly vaccinated said they had sought the vaccines due to the increase in Covid cases, and more than a third said they were alarmed at overcrowding at local hospitals and overcrowding. ‘increased death rates.

“When a theoretical threat becomes a clear and present danger, people are more likely to take action to protect themselves and their loved ones,” said Drew Altman, CEO of the Kaiser Family Foundation.

The nationally representative survey of 1,519 people was conducted from September 13 to 22 – during a period of sharp rise in Covid deaths, but before the government allowed recalls for millions of people to at high risk who had received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, including those 65 and over and adults of all ages whose work puts them at high risk of infection.

Sweeteners played a role in getting the shots fired. One-third of respondents said they had been vaccinated to travel or attend events where vaccines were required.

Two reasons often cited as important for motivating those who hesitate to get vaccinated – employer mandates (around 20%) and full federal approval for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine (15%) – have less influence.

Seventy-two percent of adults surveyed said they were at least partially vaccinated, up from 67 percent at the end of July. The latest figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are even higher, showing 77 percent of the adult population in the United States with at least one injection. The biggest change this month has been in vaccination rates for Latinos: a 12 percentage point jump since late July, to 73 percent, in the number of Latino adults who have received at least one injection.

With the racial gap in vaccination narrowing, the political divide has grown to be the widest by far, with 90% of Democrats reporting having received at least one dose, compared to 58% of Republicans.

Perhaps reflecting pandemic fatigue, around eight in 10 adults said they believe Covid is now a permanent part of the health landscape. Only 14% said they believed “it would be largely eliminated in the United States, like polio.”

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