Intent to Get a COVID-19 Vaccine Rises to 60% as Confidence in Research and Development Process Increases
Still about two-in-ten U.S. adults are “pretty certain” they won’t get the vaccine – even when there’s more information.
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
Still about two-in-ten U.S. adults are “pretty certain” they won’t get the vaccine – even when there’s more information.
81% of Black Americans consider the outbreak a major threat to public health and about half see it as a major threat to their personal health.
There are widely held concerns about the safety and effectiveness of a possible vaccine and the pace of the approval process.
Trust in scientists and medical scientists has fallen below pre-pandemic levels, with 29% of U.S. adults saying they have a great deal of confidence in medical scientists to act in the best interests of the public. This is down from 40% in November 2020 and 35% in January 2019, before COVID-19 emerged. Other prominent groups – including the military, police officers and public school principals – have also seen their ratings decline.
Black Americans stand out from other racial and ethnic groups in their attitudes toward key health care questions associated with the pandemic.
Americans’ expectations for the year ahead include an effective treatment or cure for COVID-19, as well as a vaccine to prevent the disease.
Polling finds public trust in medical scientists has increased but only among Democrats – while optimism about a vaccine is broadly shared.
Majorities of Americans support an array of measures to address climate change but stop short of a full break with fossil fuels.
Americans see “social distancing” measures urged by public health officials to limit the spread of COVID-19 as generally appropriate.
In 2019, 74% of Americans said they had a mostly positive view of doctors; 68% had a mostly favorable view of medical research scientists.
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