More than half of Americans say they would still refuse or postpone obtaining a COVID-19 vaccine, new research shows.
Although the number of US residents who want immunization has increased since December, 51 percent remain hesitant or opposed to receiving their vaccines, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation survey.
Of that challenging group, 31 percent say they want to see more results about the vaccine’s effectiveness and side effects before deciding, 13 percent refuse to take it and another 7 percent say they will only do it if necessary.
“Those who have not yet been vaccinated against COVID-19 have many concerns and information needs related to the new vaccines,” the researchers said in a statement.
“About half say they don’t have enough information about the vaccine’s side effects or effectiveness. ”
Younger, black, and Hispanic adults are especially wary of a lack of information, although there have been some gains in the number of groups that want to be immunized since last month, the survey says.
Meanwhile, 41 percent of Americans say they want to be vaccinated as soon as possible, up 7 percent from December, the study shows.
Six percent of respondents had already been immunized when the survey was conducted in January.
US residents who live in rural communities and identify themselves as Republicans remain among the most hesitant to receive the injection, the survey found.