Advisory firm Avenue Group conducted a series of one-on-one, in-depth phone interviews with doctors, nurses, and members of the general public to better understand what needs to happen in order for Americans to feel comfortable choosing to take a COVID-19 vaccine.
The World Health Organization estimates that 65 to 75 percent of the population – well over 200 million Americans – need to have antibodies either by means of a vaccine or through recovery from the virus to reach herd immunity. Last month, Dr. Anthony Fauci said, “We know what the efficacy of the vaccines are, but its effectiveness will depend on how many people take the vaccine.”
Avenue Group’s research identified several areas that need to be addressed to increase the vaccination adoption rate. Avenue Group Founder Jeremy Greenberg said, “Only half of participants told us that they are likely to take a COVID-19 vaccine. Vaccine safety and side effects are viewed as the most important factors driving the vaccination decision. Two thirds of those not likely to take the vaccine doubt the safety of it. These are concerning issues that need to be addressed by policy leaders and health experts.”
Several concerning themes emerged from Avenue Group’s interviews: women are more often the gatekeepers for households and are less likely to take a COVID-19 vaccine than men, over one third of doctors and nurses are not yet supportive of taking a vaccine, and some do not consider their doctor’s recommendation important and are leery of new vaccines.
There were encouraging themes as well. President-elect Joe Biden’s victory had a net positive impact on vaccination adoption. Half of Biden voters said that Biden’s forthcoming oversight of distribution makes them more likely to take it, while Trump voters said that their vaccine decision is unaffected by who is president. Older and high-risk participants were more likely to take the vaccine. A 74-year-old retired participant from Port St. Lucie, Florida, said, “It makes sense for me. I’m older and I have a low immune system.”
