A recent survey reveals that the enthusiasm and trust surrounding COVID-19 vaccines vary significantly based on political affiliations. More Democrats than Republicans expressed their intention to receive the updated vaccines for the upcoming respiratory viral season.
The ongoing COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor by KFF asked participants about their plans regarding the flu vaccine and the updated COVID-19 vaccine. The updated mRNA vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna have been approved by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Approximately 46 percent of adults stated that they would “definitely” or “probably” get the new coronavirus vaccine, while 52 percent said they would “definitely” or “probably not” get the shot. In comparison, 58 percent of adults expressed their intention to get the annual flu shot.
When examining responses by political parties, 69 percent of Democrats said they planned to get vaccinated against COVID-19 this season, compared to only 25 percent of Republicans. Among independents, 45 percent expressed their intention to receive the updated COVID-19 vaccine.
As age groups increase, the percentage of individuals willing to get vaccinated also grows, with around two-thirds of people above the age of 65 indicating their plans to get immunized. However, the majority of parents, across all age groups, stated that they did not plan on getting their children the updated COVID-19 vaccine.
Interestingly, despite the divided sentiment on receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, most individuals claimed to have a good understanding of how and why they should get immunized. A vast majority, 93 percent, confirmed that they knew where to get vaccinated, while 84 percent stated that they fully understood the reasons for immunization.
Furthermore, most adults expressed no concern about the possibility of falling seriously ill from COVID-19, experiencing long COVID, or getting severely sick from the flu or RSV.
“Reflecting patterns observed throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, intended vaccine uptake remains largely divided based on political beliefs,” noted KFF. The organization pointed out that Republican views on the safety of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines contributed to a lower overall perception of safety, with 57 percent considering it less safe in comparison to vaccines for other respiratory viruses such as the flu and RSV.
The survey also revealed that 60 percent of respondents expressed their enthusiasm for the new RSV vaccine, which has been approved for use in adults aged 60 and older.
Participants’ trust in health officials appeared to vary based on their proximity to the individual as well as their political affiliation.
“While a large majority across all political parties express trust in their personal doctor or child’s pediatrician, government sources of information such as the CDC, local public health departments, and the FDA received less trust among Republicans,” highlighted the KFF survey.
The KFF survey was conducted from September 6-13 and gathered responses from 1,296 adults. The results carry a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.
–Updated at 10:45 a.m.
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