Majority in U.S. Says Public Health Benefits of COVID-19 Restrictions Worth the Costs, Even as Large Shares Also See Downsides
Partisans agree that COVID-19 poses major threat to economy, but remain divided on public health threat
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- Majority in U.S. Says Public Health Benefits of COVID-19 Restrictions Worth the Costs, Even as Large Shares Also See Downsides
- Majorities say restrictions on activity have hurt businesses, limited people’s lifestyles – but see the public health benefits as having been worth the costs
- Views of COVID-19 vaccines align with vaccination status, but half or more of both groups say it is hard to make sense of all the information about vaccines
- Majority favors vaccination requirements for air travel; fewer back vaccine proof for shopping
- 61% say changing COVID-19 recommendations from public health officials made sense, but 51% also say they made them feel less confident in guidance
- White evangelical Protestants, those with no health insurance among least likely to say they have received a COVID-19 vaccine
- Majority of vaccinated adults view the coronavirus outbreak as a major public health threat
- Ratings of local hospitals’ response to coronavirus outbreak remain very positive
- Republicans and Democrats far apart in ratings of Biden, health officials on coronavirus response
- Narrow majority in U.S. says worst of pandemic is still to come
- Majority of Americans say pandemic restrictions have hurt economy, but think they’ve been worth the costs
- Small shares of those who are not vaccinated think activity restrictions have helped a lot to prevent illness, slow spread of the coronavirus
- Democrats more likely than Republicans to say public health benefits of restrictions on activity have been worth the costs
- Majority in U.S. support requiring proof of vaccination for air travel, oppose requiring it to shop in stores
- Few Republicans favor showing proof of COVID-19 vaccination for shopping or dining indoors
- Most in U.S. back mask rules on public transit, international travel restrictions to address COVID-19
- Majorities of vaccinated adults see a range of policies to address coronavirus outbreak as necessary
- Republicans less likely than Democrats to view policies in place to address coronavirus as necessary
- Sharp decline in frequent mask wearing among Republicans since February
- Vaccinated adults report wearing a mask more often than those who have not received a COVID-19 vaccine
- Majority of Americans remain concerned about unknowingly spreading the coronavirus to others
- Vaccinated adults more concerned about spreading coronavirus than those who have not been vaccinated
- Strong confidence in vaccine research and development process increases
- Vaccinated adults highly confident in COVID-19 vaccine R&D process
- Positive sentiment toward vaccines – as well as some concerns – resonate with majorities of U.S. adults
- 91% of vaccinated adults see COVID-19 vaccines as the best way to protect Americans from COVID-19; those not vaccinated cite a range of concerns
- Republicans’ views on COVID-19 vaccines differ by vaccination status
- About four-in-ten Americans say businesses should require employees to get a COVID-19 vaccine
- Majority of vaccinated adults say they would get a COVID-19 booster shot, if recommended
- Input on vaccine from friends and family differs greatly by vaccination status and partisanship
- Majority of Americans say shifting public health recommendations on the coronavirus made sense, but 63% also say they’ve had a negative reaction
- Large shares of those who are not vaccinated express negative reactions to changing public health guidance
- 82% of Black adults say they know someone who has been hospitalized or died from COVID-19
- 72% of U.S. adults say they know someone who has been hospitalized or died as a result of COVID-19
- 26% of Americans aware ‘very few’ adults in developing countries have access to COVID-19 vaccines
- 26% of Americans say providing COVID-19 vaccines to developing countries should be a top priority
- Among those who say U.S. should provide COVID-19 vaccines to developing countries, most say this should be done to limit variant spread in U.S.
- Democrats and Republicans move further apart in views on scientists’ ability to be unbiased
- Most Americans describe the scientific method as an iterative process
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