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As Covid-19 vaccine eligibility expands rapidly to all adults in many states over the next month, a new survey shows a continuing increase in the number of Americans, especially black adults, who wish to be vaccinated. But he also found that vaccine skepticism remains stubbornly persistent, especially among Republicans and white evangelical Christians, an issue the Biden administration has pointed out as an obstacle to herd immunity and return. to a normal life.
Right now, around 61% of adults have received or want their first dose, up from 47% in January, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation’s latest monthly survey.
The change has been most striking among black Americans, some of whom have expressed hesitation in the past, but who have also had access issues. Since February alone, 14% more black adults have said they want or have received the vaccine. Overall, black adults, who have also been the target of vigorous promotional campaigns by celebrities, local black doctors, clergy and public health officials, now want the vaccine in numbers almost comparable to other prominent demographic groups: 55%, compared with 61% for Latinos and 64% for Whites.
The Biden administration has put equity at the center of its response to the pandemic and added mass vaccination sites in several underserved communities. In early March, a New York Times analysis of state-reported race and ethnicity information showed that the vaccination rate of blacks in the United States was half that of whites and that the gap for Hispanics was even taller.
Dr Reed Tuckson, founder of the Black Coalition Against Covid, praised the growing acceptance rates, but noted that practical issues still hamper adoption.
“The data and our anecdotal comments are encouraging and further support the need for equitable distribution and easy-to-access vaccination sites that are run by trusted organizations,” he said. “The system needs to support those choices by doing what it takes to do what is easy to do.”
Overall, the poll found that the so-called waiting group – people who haven’t made up their minds yet – is declining proportionally, now at 17 percent, from 31 percent in January. The seven-day average of vaccines administered reached 2.77 million on Tuesday, an increase from the previous week’s rate, according to data reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The survey was carried out from March 15 to 22 with a random sample of 1,862 adults.
Despite the progress, one in five adults (20%) said they would definitely refuse the vaccine or be vaccinated only if their job or school demanded it. A number of employers and institutions are considering imposing such a requirement. Last week, Rutgers University became the first major academic institution to require students to be vaccinated this fall (with exemptions for certain medical or religious reasons).
Those most likely to strongly oppose vaccination identify as Republicans (29 percent) or white evangelical Christians (28 percent). In contrast, only 10% of black adults said they definitely wouldn’t get it.
According to the Kaiser survey and other polls, Republicans have shown little movement in their views on vaccine acceptance in recent months, although they were more open last fall, ahead of the November presidential election. . The partisan divide over Covid-19 shots is wide, with just 46% of Republicans claiming to have received at least one hit or wanting to get it, compared to 79% of Democrats.
No group is monolithic in their reasons for opposing or accepting vaccines. Those who are skeptical say they are suspicious of the government in general and are worried about the speed of vaccine development. Infused with misinformation online, many cling to a rapidly spreading myth: Tracking microchips are built into shots.
For people in rural areas, access to the vaccine is so problematic that they find the logistics and travel time involved simply not worth it.
With so many reasons given for avoiding the vaccine, it can be difficult to craft messages to improve confidence in the matter. But the latest Kaiser report identified some approaches that seem to be successful in getting people to consider photos.
At least two-thirds of the so-called waiting and counseling group said they would be persuaded by the message that vaccines are “almost 100% effective in preventing hospitalization and death from Covid-19” . Other strong messages included information that the new vaccines are based on 20-year-old technology, that vaccine trials have included a wide variety of candidates, and that vaccines are free.
The survey also noted that many hesitant people would support certain incentives. As the country begins to open up and on-site work returns, the employer’s role in immunization becomes increasingly relevant. A quarter of those who are hesitant and have a job said they would get vaccinated if their employer organized a workplace vaccination. Almost as many would agree if their employers gave them financial incentives ranging from $ 50 to $ 200.
But overall, the strong growth in adults who have received a dose of the vaccine or are inclined to get it is likely due to their growing familiarity with the concept. Surveys show that as they get to know more friends and relatives who have been vaccinated, they can more easily imagine getting it themselves.
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