More Americans Say Ready to Receive Covid Vaccine, CDC Report Says

The percentage of adults who say they are ready to receive the Covid-19 vaccine increased from September to December, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released on Tuesday.

However, the report found that a significant percentage of Americans are still hesitant about the vaccine: only about half of adults under 65 said they were “absolutely certain” or “very likely” to get it. get vaccinated against Covid-19.

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The CDC report is based on polls taken in September and December.

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In December, 49% of adults surveyed said they would receive the Covid-19 vaccine, up from 39% in September. The largest increases were seen in adults 65 and older (66 percent said they intended to be vaccinated, compared to 49 percent); essential workers (46 percent, compared to 37 percent); and adults under 65 with underlying health conditions (42 percent, versus 37 percent).

In addition, the percentage of Americans who said they did not intend to get the vaccine fell from 38% in September to 32% in December.

Young adults, women and black Americans were among the groups most likely to say they did not intend to get the Covid-19 vaccine. Adults living in non-metropolitan areas and adults with less education, low income and no health insurance were also the most likely to report that they did not intend to get the vaccine.

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Among adults who said in December that they were not planning to get the vaccine, the most common concerns were side effects (30 percent); lack of confidence in government (12 percent); and worry that the vaccines were developed too quickly (10 percent).

Safety concerns increased in December compared to September, while concerns about too rapid vaccine development eased.

Fifteen percent of adults not planning to get the shot said they plan to wait to see if it’s safe and that they would consider getting it later.

The report underscores the need to promote confidence in vaccines in all populations in the United States, including tailoring messages to address specific individual concerns, the authors wrote.

“Ensuring high and equitable vaccination coverage among all populations, including addressing the reasons for not planning to get vaccinated, is essential to prevent the spread of Covid-19 and end the pandemic”, they wrote.

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