A new survey of U.S. consumers conducted by Avant Health on January 17, 2021, revealed that 21% of consumers would “probably not” or “definitely not” get the coronavirus vaccine. Of consumers aged 18 to 29, 24% reported the same, as did 23% of 30-44 year-olds, 22% of 45-60 year-olds, and 16% of those >60 years old.
The survey consisted of 1,118 randomly selected adult consumers across the U.S., a participant pool matched to the U.S. census by age and gender. Participants completed an online survey asking their opinions about coronavirus vaccines, the likelihood of getting a vaccine, and overall concern for coronavirus-related hospitalization.
Who will avoid getting the vaccine? 17% of male and 25% of female respondents would “probably not” or “definitely not” get a coronavirus vaccine; 35% of Black/African-American and 20% of White respondents reported the same, while only 16% of Hispanic and 11% of Asian respondents would avoid the vaccine. Across all respondents, those with comparatively lower educational levels and household income were more likely to report “probably not” or “definitely not” getting a vaccination. Lack of trust, safety concerns, and rushed development are frequently cited as reasons for not getting the vaccines.
Who is concerned about being hospitalized? 41% of respondents indicated not being concerned about hospitalization from coronavirus (26% reported “not too concerned” and 15% reported “not at all concerned,”) while 23% of all respondents are “very concerned” about being hospitalized, and 34% are “somewhat concerned.” Overall, as the degree of concern decreased, the proportion of respondents reporting they would “probably not” or “definitely not” get the coronavirus vaccine increased.
“As vaccination efforts intensify with an eye to curb the pandemic, in order to achieve the goal of adequate vaccination across the U.S. and get back to pre-COVID normalcy, it is imperative to embark on a concerted education and public awareness campaign cutting across sociodemographic strata, encompassing the one-in-five U.S adults who appear to hold reservations towards receiving coronavirus vaccines,” says Siva Narayanan, CEO of Avant Health.
