With several promising COVID-19 vaccines on the horizon including Moderna and Pfizer, many Americans will soon be faced with the decision of whether or not to get vaccinated.
Harmony Healthcare IT recently surveyed 2,000 Americans from across the country to try and gauge what percentage of Americans would be willing to receive a COVID-19 vaccination.
COVID-19 Vaccine
Only 46% of Americans say they would receive a COVID-19 vaccination as soon as it was made available. 40% said they would get the vaccine but would prefer to see how effective and safe it is before receiving it. Only 14% said they would not get the COVID-19 vaccine.
The study also did a breakdown for various demographics on whether or not they would get the COVID- 19 vaccine. 31% of Gen Z said they would get the vaccine right away and 59% said they would get it but not right away. 40% of Millennials said they would get the vaccine immediately and another 46% said they would get the vaccine but not immediately. Gex X said 42% would get the vaccine right away and 43% said they would get it but not immediately. 42% of Baby Boomers said they would get the vaccine right away and 45% said they would get it eventually. 47% of Males said they would get the vaccine right away compared to 35% of Females. Females were more likely to get the vaccine down the road as opposed to males signaling a more cautious approach.
Tops Reasons Against Getting Vaccinated
Of those deciding not to get the COVID-19 vaccine, Harmony Healthcare IT asked why they were against getting the vaccine. Listed below are the top responses:
1. Concerned about potential side effects (67%)
2. I want to see how well it works/how effective it is (38%)
3. I won’t need a vaccination (21%)
4. I don’t believe in vaccinations (9%)
5. I’m concerned about the cost of a vaccination (8%)
6. Other (14%)
When Will A Vaccine Be Produced?
There are many reports in the news that we are getting closer and closer to an approved COVID-19 vaccine with each passing day. Harmony Healthcare IT asked surveyed respondents how long they thought it would be before a COVID-19 vaccine was produced. 55% of surveyed believe they will be able to be vaccinated within a year. Another 20% said the vaccine would be ready on 1-2 months. Only 9% felt it would be available immediately. 8% said between 1-2 years, 2% said 2 plus years and another 7% said that they were not sure when a COVID-19 vaccine would be produced. When Do You Think You Will Receive Aa Vaccination? Respondents were next asked when they think that they will actually be able to receive a vaccination. 53% said that they will receive a COVID-19 vaccination within a year. Another 20% said they would be vaccinated within 1-2 months. 9% said they weren’t sure. 8% said 1-2 years. Another 8% said immediately and only 2% said more than 2 years.
Who Should Receive The COVID-19 Vaccination First?
Respondents were next asked to rank which groups should receive the COVID-19 vaccination first. The full results are listed below:
1. The most vulnerable groups of the population (50%)
2. No priority to vaccination (20%)
3. The areas with the highest number of cases (12%)
4. Children (6%)
5. 55-66 year olds (5%)
6. 25-34 year olds (3%)
7. 18-24 year olds (1%)
8. 45-54 year olds (1%)
83% of respondents said that they would prefer a vaccine that was developed in the U.S. as opposed to another country. 70% said they would still receive a vaccine if it was developed outside of the U.S. 31% of respondents said that they would try to travel to another country to receive a vaccination if one was not available here. 83% said that they were most concerned about the potential side effects that would come with taking the vaccine.
55% said that they believe that the government should require every citizen to get vaccinated. 71% said that they believe that the government has the capacity to deploy the COVID-19 vaccine to every American citizen. 70% said that they would not receive a vaccination if it was not approved by the FDA first.
When Do Americans Expect A Return To Normalcy?
Even after a COVID-19 vaccine is approved and distributed across the globe, it will take a while for infections rates go down to a level that will allow us to return to what our normal lives looked like before the COVID-19 pandemic. Surveyed respondents were asked about when they think a return to normalcy will happen.
The full results are listed below:
1. 1-2 years (25%)
2. 6 months-1 year (24%)
3. 3-6 months (16%)
4. More than 2 years (11%)
5. It won’t ever return to normal (11%)
6. 1-2 months (7%)
7. Not sure when things will return to normal (4%)
Flu Season And The COVID-19 Pandemic
Harmony Healthcare IT also looked at flu season data from the CDC to see if people are getting their flu shots this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. They found that 47% of Americans have already received a flu shot this year. Another 25% said they have not gotten a flu shot year, but plan to this year. 28% said they had no plans to get a flu shot this year. 42% of Americans said that they have gone two years or more without getting a flu shot. One-third of Americans said that the COVID-19 pandemic is the main reason that they will get a flu shot this year.
Harmony Healthcare IT also asked about the top reasons that people decide to not get a flu shot.
The full breakdown can be seen below:
1. The flu shot is not necessary (43%)
2. I’ve never contracted the flu (18%)
3. I don’t believe in vaccinations (11%)
4. The flu shot is inconvenient (9%)
5. I’m worried that I will get sick from the flu shot (5%)
6. Other (14%)
The full results from the Harmony Healthcare IT COVID-19 vaccination survey can be seen in the graphics below.
Infographic by: www.harmonyhit.com
