More Americans are eager to get the COVID-19 vaccine, but some are still hesitating or even saying, "No thanks," altogether.
In the past three months, the share of Americans who have either received the vaccine or want it as soon as possible has almost doubled, to 62%, and the percentage wanting to “wait and see” has shrunk by more than half. Now, just 17% of people are hesitant, according to nationwide surveys by the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonprofit group unaffiliated with Kaiser Permanente.
Young adults and Black adults were still the most likely to say they’ll wait because they’re concerned about serious side effects. However, Black adults also saw the largest increase in vaccine enthusiasm, with 55% now saying they have either gotten their shots or want to as soon as possible.
UCSF's Dr. Monica Gandhi says any hesitation on the part of potential vaccine recipients is unnecessary.
"Now we have hundreds of millions of doses that have been given out, including about 150 million doses out in the United States," she said, "and there have been no serious adverse side effects from the vaccine."
The share of people who said they definitely will not get inoculated has stayed at roughly 13%. Many are Republicans, white evangelicals or rural residents concerned about potential long-term effects. Dr. Gandhi says that’s not a problem either, because the vaccine does not contain any virus.
"There’s nothing about the COVID vaccines that is live at all," Gandhi said. "And there’s nothing about the technology that I can even imagine will lead to long-term side effects."
The vaccines contain a protein that prompts your immune system to make antibodies, after which the protein dissolves, leaving only the antibodies, which fight the coronavirus.
—Laura Klivans and Jon Brooks
