Just 23 Percent of U.S. Adults ‘Definitely’ Plan to Get New COVID-19 Vaccine

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 27, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Just 23 percent of American adults say they "definitely" will get the new COVID-19 vaccine, while another 23 percent say they will "probably" get it, according to a new poll, which also reveals that interest in the vaccine falls along partisan lines.

KFF surveyed nearly 1,300 U.S. adults between Sept. 6 and Sept. 13, online and by telephone. Interviews were conducted in English and in Spanish. The overall margin of error is plus or minus 4 percentage points.

Fewer than half of Americans (46 percent) say they will "definitely" or "probably" get the new COVID-19 shot -- that is higher than the percentage who have received previous boosters, though still lower than those who got the initial vaccines in 2020. About 37 percent of people who previously received a COVID-19 vaccine say they "probably" or "definitely" will not get the new shot. Interest is highest among those aged 65 years and older (64 percent) and among Democrats (70 percent). About 24 percent of Republicans plan to get the shot.

Parents have some hesitation about getting the new vaccine for their children. More than half say they "probably" or "definitely" will not get their children boosted. About 39 percent of parents plan to get their 12- to 17-year-olds boosted, as do 36 percent of those with 5- to 11-year-olds and 34 percent of those with children aged 6 months to 4 years.

The poll suggests flu shot uptake will be higher. About 58 percent of adults had already received a flu shot or expected to get it. About 60 percent of those aged 60 years and older said they had already received or expected to get the new respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine. Even with greater interest in the flu and RSV vaccines, partisan divides were still apparent. The poll shows a 25-point gap in interest in these vaccines -- 76 percent of Democrats and 51 percent of Republicans had gotten a flu shot. For the RSV shot, the party-line gap was even higher, 38 points, among those 60 years and older. It is recommended for this age group.

Confidence in the safety of the vaccines follows party lines, too. Thirty-six percent of Republicans are confident the COVID-19 vaccine is safe compared with 84 percent of Democrats. The partisan divide extends to trust in public health agencies. About 63 percent of Americans say they trust the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including 88 percent of Democrats and 40 percent of Republicans. Overall, 61 percent trust the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, including 86 percent of Democrats and 44 percent of Republicans. Republican trust in local health departments is higher (51 percent).

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