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As researchers behind COVID vaccinations seek clearances for emergency use in several countries, how many people will receive the vaccine remains in question.
More than a third of Massachusetts residents have expressed distrust of early vaccines and said they would be unlikely to get them, according to a new poll.
In a survey of 415 adults between October 22 and November 24 by the Western New England University Polling Institute, respondents were asked how likely they would be to get a COVID vaccine if it were available today. hui.
Just under 60% said they would, with 36% responding that they were very likely to be vaccinated and 23% of the total surveyed said they would rather be.
About 22% expressed strong reservations about a vaccine, saying there would be very little chance of getting it, while 16% said they were unlikely to get it.
Men were more likely to say they would get the vaccine than women, with 65% saying they would, while 54% of women would be very or somewhat likely to do so.
Support for early vaccination efforts also saw varying support from racial groups. The majority – 65% – of white respondents said they would be likely to get the vaccine, while the majority of non-white respondents – which included black, Latino, native and Asian Americans – said they would not. not.
The main reasons for the decline were concerns about side effects of early vaccines and lack of confidence in the approval process.
“Despite the suffering and deprivation that people may have encountered firsthand or through the experiences of others during the pandemic, a significant percentage of the public is currently not convinced of the value of a vaccine”, Tim Vercellotti, survey director of the Institute and professor of political science at Western New England University, said. “Of course, these numbers can fluctuate as the public receives more information and vaccine distribution begins.”
The researchers also asked about public health efforts to stem the spread of the virus.
An overwhelming majority – 90% – expressed support for local mask mandates implemented by their towns and villages in public spaces. This saw different support across parties, with 97% of respondents who identified as Democrats supporting such measures and 62% of Republicans.
The majority also said they had been personally affected by the virus. About 66% of respondents said they knew someone diagnosed with COVID-19 and 29% said they knew someone who had died from the virus. When asked if they were worried about getting it, 64% said they were very or somewhat worried about it.
There have been 221,174 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Massachusetts since the start of the pandemic and more than 10,000 Bay State residents have died from the virus.
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