Survey shows majority of unvaccinated Americans think microchips are in vaccines

A new survey from YouGov and The Economist released Thursday reveals that a surprising number of Americans will not get vaccinated because of concerns about side effects, implantation of “microchips” and political motives.

One in five Americans believe the U.S. government is using the vaccine to implant microchip tracking devices into people, the survey found. A significant number of those who reject vaccines also cite the belief that inoculation in general causes autism.

As COVID-19 cases are part of the nationwide unvaccinated wave, vaccine conspiracies and the rejection of the danger posed by COVID-19 appear to be the main obstacles to containing the spread of the virus. Jeff Zients, coordinator of the White House coronavirus team, confirmed during a press briefing that unvaccinated Americans “account for virtually all recent hospitalizations and deaths from Covid-19.”

The Economist and YouGov survey was conducted among a nationally representative sample of 1,500 American adults surveyed from July 10 to 13. The sample’s margin of error was estimated to be around three percent.

According to the poll, Republicans were much more likely to reject vaccines, with more than a quarter (29%) saying they would not get the vaccine compared to just 4% of Democrats.

“Skepticism about the threats posed by the coronavirus is clear among vaccine rejecters,” YouGov said of its findings. “While more than one in four of those fully vaccinated think the dangers of COVID-19 have been exaggerated for political reasons, three times as many vaccine rejecters say so.”

Pollsters said when asked why they wouldn’t get the vaccine, 90 percent feared side effects. Only 16% believe that most new cases of COVID-19 occur among the unvaccinated and, for the most part, believe that the virus is also spreading among vaccinated and unvaccinated Americans.

Unsurprisingly, those surveyed overwhelmingly rejecting the vaccine said they were not afraid of contracting COVID-19 and believed its threat had been grossly exaggerated for political reasons. Less than one in ten vaccine rejecters said they trusted the medical advice of White House medical adviser Anthony Fauci, and only one in five trusted the Centers for Disease Control.

Fauci told reporters that in June, almost all (99.2%) of COVID deaths in the United States could be attributed to unvaccinated.

But CDC data shows that about 67% of American adults have received at least one dose of the vaccine and 58% are fully vaccinated. While the proliferation of anti-vaccination sentiments is concerning, the survey also found that vaccinated Americans, or those considering getting vaccinated, criticize those who refuse vaccination.

Two-thirds of Americans vaccinated don’t think there is a good reason to reject the vaccine, with just 15 percent saying those who refuse the vaccination have good reason to do so.

Most Americans reject these theories, but only the minorities of those who oppose their vaccinations do. Almost one in three say they don’t know what to believe, “YouGov said.