Unvaccinated Americans are not changing their perspective and behavior in the face of COVID-19 pandemic, study finds



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A recent study highlighted a difference in behavior between Americans who received the COVID-19 vaccine and those who purposely remain unvaccinated.

The Kaiser Family Foundation first published its study last week after an investigation as part of its ongoing research into public attitudes and experiences with the COVID-19 vaccine.

The researchers found that 67% of Americans who have received the vaccine, or are planning to get one, still have the same attitude towards the vaccine since June.

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The study found that three in ten Americans are still not vaccinated. One in ten Americans has a “wait and see” approach, and 3% of unvaccinated Americans said they would only get vaccinated if needed.

Fourteen percent of unvaccinated Americans said they definitely won’t get vaccinated and the response hasn’t changed since December, according to the study.

The study pointed out that many unvaccinated Americans are much less concerned about the coronavirus and the delta variant, and are less confident in the safety measures used to stop the spread of the virus compared to Americans who have received the COVID-vaccine. 19.

Three-quarters of unvaccinated adults said they were not worried about becoming seriously ill from the virus, with some believing the vaccine to pose a greater risk to their health than a coronavirus infection.

However, researchers have found that the increase in COVID-19 cases fueled by the delta variant has made some people likely to wear masks and again avoid large gatherings, which mostly come from vaccinated adults.

The study also pointed out that when it comes to mask wearing, the political party plays a role in which side of the issue people follow.

Mask-wearing has become a partisan issue during the coronavirus pandemic, with majority of Republicans saying they ‘never’ wear a mask outside in crowded places, outside with friends and members from family, at work or in a grocery store, ”the study authors pointed out.

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“Democrats, on the other hand, are more likely to report wearing a mask in all of these places except when they are outside with household members and friends,” the authors continued.

Several cities have reimposed indoor mask mandates to curb the spread of the coronavirus, such as Los Angeles. Face coverings will once again be required in all indoor public places, businesses and establishments in County Durham and the City of Durham due to the rapid spread of the coronavirus, government officials said on Saturday.

The COVID-19 outbreak in the United States crossed 100,000 new confirmed daily infections on Saturday, a milestone last exceeded in the winter wave and driven by the highly transmissible delta variant and low vaccination rates in the South .

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Health officials fear that cases, hospitalizations and deaths will continue to rise if more Americans do not adopt the vaccine. Nationally, 50% of residents are fully immunized and more than 70% of adults have received at least one dose.

Hospitalizations and deaths are also increasing, though all are still below peaks seen earlier this year before vaccines became widely available. More than 44,000 Americans are currently hospitalized with COVID-19, according to the CDC, up 30% in one week and nearly four times more than in June. More than 120,000 were hospitalized in January.

The seven-day average of deaths fell from around 270 deaths a day two weeks ago to nearly 500 a day on Friday, according to Johns Hopkins University. Deaths peaked at 3,500 per day in January. Deaths usually lag behind hospitalizations, as the disease normally takes a few weeks to kill.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. This story was reported from Los Angeles.

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