This is the next thing we will have to really focus on.
Most Texas voters believe vaccines are safe and effective, but 28% do not plan to get a COVID-19 vaccine when it’s available to them, according to the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll.
A solid majority (61%) agree that “in general … vaccines are safe.” That includes majorities of both Democrats (74%) and Republicans (54%). Asked whether vaccines are generally effective, 63% said yes, including 78% of Democrats and 56% of Republicans. More than half (56%) said that vaccines are both safe and effective, including 71% of Democrats and 48% of Republicans.
Even so, 36% said they’ll get vaccinated against COVID-19 as soon as it’s available to them, 28% said they will not, and 16% said they’re not sure. Another 15% said they’ve already been vaccinated, meaning just over half have either been vaccinated or are planning to be when they can. In a poll last June, 59% said they would get a COVID-19 vaccine if it was available at low cost; in the October 2020 UT/TT Poll, that number fell to 42%.
Polling data is here. These numbers trail the national numbers that I can find, but the most recent national polling was from at least three weeks ago. The two most recent results I saw, from the second week of February, had national willingness to take the shot (plus those who had already received it) at around 65%. There will be some core group that will be extremely resistant, but I believe there are still quite a few who just want to take it more slowly and will get there in their own time. We have some work to do to meet them where they are and get them where they need to be.
A good percentage of the 28% resisters most likely already have had COVID or will get COVID since a lot of them aren’t taking precautions, probably at least half. So say 14% added to the 72% that will eventually get vaccinated gives a herd immunity of 86%, which should be good enough to get COVID under control.
There is not enough data to determine if the vaccines are safe or if there could be long-term effects.
How many years was smoking acceptable?
How many years was lead used in paint?
There is a long list of what was considered safe until we found out that maybe not so much so.
Not too many years ago people believed that coffee caused cancer, turns out that coffee helps to prevent a certain type of cancers.
While the vaccines will allow us to return to what was considered a normal life, to say the covid vaccines are safe is not being honest.
Pingback: More storm polling – Off the Kuff