Topline
According to research published in JAMA Network Open Friday that found most vaccine-reluctant people have changed their mind about getting a Covid-19 shot. This is good news for officials trying to increase immunization rates in the face of rising cases, hospitalizations, and deaths.
Vaccine hesitancy can change over time, researchers found. Getty Images via Anadolu Agency
The Key Facts
According to the peer-reviewed study, nearly seven out of 10 vaccine-hesitant people said that they had received the shot or were ready to get it. The study followed 3,439 people from August 2020 to April 2021. The researchers found that 32% of those who refused to be vaccinated in the beginning of the study had been vaccinated by then, while 32% said they would get the vaccine. Researchers found that people over 65, non-Hispanic Asians, and those with graduate degrees were more likely to have changed their mind, while only 12%, 13%, and 18% said they were still not willing to get vaccinated. Nearly three quarters of the vaccine-refusing over-65s got the shot. This includes 65% of non-Hispanic Asians and half of those with graduate degrees. The most resistant to vaccination were those between 45 and 54 years old, who had a high school education (38%) or less, and lived in a metro area (38%). Only 18%, 24%, and 31% of these people had been vaccinated. Researchers found that a small percentage of people became more cautious over time, but this was much less than the number who embraced the vaccine later.
Surprising Fact
Participants were asked to self-report their vaccination status. Researchers wrote that although this practice is used in studies and polls measuring vaccine uptake it has not been verified as accurate. To verify vaccination status, researchers cross-checked the responses with antibody tests. The research method was validated by the results.
Important Background
The U.S. uses coronavirus vaccines that are safe and highly effective in preventing death, serious illness and hospitalization from Covid-19. They are free, and there is no cost to the patient. Even though there is a large vaccine supply, all adults (and many children), have been eligible for vaccines for many months. This gives them an advantage over many other countries and has led to a surge in hospitalizations and deaths. They are almost all in unvaccinated individuals. The demand for Covid-19-related medicines has led to nationwide shortages and rationing.
Continue reading
The Time Course of COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy and Association of Initial Vaccine Hesitancy with Subsequent Vaccination (JAMA Network Open).
By the Numbers: Who Refuses Covid VaccinationsAnd Why? (Forbes).
Covid Vaccine Hesitancy in Some Is Due To A Paradoxical Inaccessibility (Forbes).
According to a poll, most major countries are less concerned about Covid-19 vaccines (Forbes).
The majority of unvaccinated Americans don't feel responsible for the soaring number of covid cases. A poll suggests that this is what they blame (Forbes).
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