A growing number of Americans say they want to get the coronavirus vaccine as soon as possible, according to new KFF research.
Yes but: Race, partisanship and geography still serve as important dividing lines for enthusiasm for vaccines. And people of color are less likely than white Americans to say that they themselves were vaccinated or that they know someone who did.
By the numbers: 41% of American adults now say they will receive a vaccine as soon as it is made available to them, an increase of 34% in December. Another 6% said they had already been vaccinated.
- The proportion of adults who said they wanted to wait and see how the vaccine is working for others before applying it dropped from 39% in December to 31% this month.
- Another 7% said this month that they will only receive the vaccine if necessary, and 13% said they definitely will not.
Between the lines: Enthusiasm for the vaccine has increased among racial groups, but black and Hispanic adults are still significantly more likely than white adults to say they want to wait and see before receiving the vaccine, and enthusiasm is greater among white Americans.
- And while enthusiasm has soared among rural Americans, people living in rural areas remain much more likely than their urban counterparts to say they will definitely not get the vaccine.
- Democrats remain the most enthusiastic political group about vaccination, while Republicans’ opinions have remained almost the same since December. Only 32% say they have already been vaccinated or want the vaccine as soon as possible, and a third say they will definitely not take it or only do it if necessary.
What we’re watching: White adults are more likely than black and Hispanic adults to say that they have already been vaccinated or that they know someone who did.
- Meeting someone who has been vaccinated is related to enthusiasm for the vaccine, suggesting that progress in equity will lead to progress in hesitation – which will benefit all of us as we approach collective immunity.