Pew Research Survey Finds Most Americans Plan To Take COVID-19 Vaccines
Cary Funk, director of science and society research at the Pew Research Center, joins “Closer Look” to discuss new data that suggests the public’s intent to get vaccinated during the pandemic is rising.
Pew Research Center
New data from the Pew Research Center suggests most Americans have a favorable view of COVID-19 vaccines.
According to the survey that was conducted in mid-February, 19% of adults reported that they had taken at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
Cary Funk, director of science and society research at the Pew Research Center, says the survey had roughly 10,000 respondents from across the country and included approximately 1,000 Blacks and 2,000 Hispanics.
On Wednesday’s edition of “Closer Look,” Funk told show host Rose Scott that public opinion about vaccines continues to fluctuate as new information about them is discovered and they become accessible for all groups of people.
“The important thing here is to look at those broad patterns,” said Funk. “It went up and down across different groups, but you often saw certain groups more hesitant than others.”
Data collected reveals that at least 69% of the respondents reported that they plan to get vaccinated. That number is up from November when it was reported only 60% planned to get vaccinated.
The survey that explores public perception based on various categories — including gender, race, political-party affiliation and income levels — reveals that 77% of Americans believe vaccinations will improve the nation’s economy.
“The kinds of divides that separate us have been more along political lines,” said Funk.
During the conversation, Funk explained that the top three reasons people are hesitant about the vaccines are concerns about side effects, the effectiveness of the vaccines and the speed at which the vaccines were developed.
To listen to the full conversation, click the audio player above.
Top Stories
