25 Percent of Americans Say They Will Refuse To Take Covid-19 Vaccine

A self-culling herd may be new in the annals of modern medicine.

But the data underscore the damage done by anti-vax conspiracy theorists over the last several years. JL

Claire Hansen reports in US News and World Report:

A QUARTER OF AMERICANS say they will not get a coronavirus vaccine when it becomes available, even if it is deemed safe and effective. Older adults were the most likely to say they would get the vaccine, and a larger share of Democrats said the same, compared to independents and Republicans. Confidence in vaccines has been on the decline: 84% of adults said it was important to vaccinate their children, down from 94% in 2001. Anti-vaccination activists (are) a force at protests against stay-at-home orders, and conspiracy theories about vaccination have been shared widely on social media.

A QUARTER OF AMERICANS say they will probably not get a coronavirus vaccine when it becomes available – even if it is deemed safe and effective, according to a new poll released Friday.

The ABC News/Ipsos poll found that 25% of adults were either "not so likely" or "not likely at all" to be innoculated against the coronavirus, while 74% indicated they were either somewhat or very likely to get a vaccine when it comes out.

The results are in roughly in line with a Morning Consult poll, released Thursday, which found that only about two-thirds of adults would definitely get vaccinated against the virus, while 14% said they would not. Another 22% said they were unsure or didn't have an opinion. Older adults were the most likely to say they would get the vaccine, and a larger share of Democrats said the same, compared to independents and Republicans.

The development of a vaccine will be one of the biggest factors determining when normal life can resume. Biotech companies and researchers have been racing to produce one, and most experts estimate that one will likely become available in early or mid-2021.

Biotech company Moderna announced that the Food and Drug Administration had given it permission to move into the second phase of clinical trial for its potential coronavirus vaccination. The phase will involve 600 volunteers. That effort is one of more than 100 research projects to find a vaccine. Only a handful have moved into clinical trials.

Neither of the polls released this week asked respondents why they would or would not elect to get a vaccine, and individual reasons are likely to vary widely.

Anti-vaccination activists have become a growing force at protests against state stay-at-home orders, and conspiracy theories about the coronavirus and vaccination have been shared widely on social media.

Confidence in vaccines has been on the decline: A Gallup survey released in March found that 84% of adults said it was important to vaccinate their children, down from 94% in 2001.