Partisan Differences Over the Pandemic Response Are Growing
Polling finds public trust in medical scientists has increased but only among Democrats – while optimism about a vaccine is broadly shared.
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
Polling finds public trust in medical scientists has increased but only among Democrats – while optimism about a vaccine is broadly shared.
Overall, 46% of Americans say the statement “public health officials were unprepared for the outbreak” describes their views extremely or very well, including similar shares of Republicans and Democrats.
Still about two-in-ten U.S. adults are “pretty certain” they won’t get the vaccine – even when there’s more information.
Americans are increasingly critical of the response to COVID-19 from elected officeholders and public health officials. Positive ratings of public health officials, such as those at the CDC, have fallen 10 points since August. And 60% of U.S. adults say they’ve felt confused as a result of changes to recommendations on how to slow the spread of COVID-19.
As the drive to inoculate more people continues, here are 10 facts about Americans and COVID-19 vaccines.
Americans’ expectations for the year ahead include an effective treatment or cure for COVID-19, as well as a vaccine to prevent the disease.
America’s confidence in the scientific community appears to be relatively strong. But the degree of public trust in scientists across climate, food and medical issues varies, and many express moderate rather than strongly positive views.
As public debates continue over a range of science-related topics, including climate change and the safety of eating genetically modified (GM) foods, Americans are largely skeptical about the degree to which scientists understand these two issues, whether there is scientific consensus on them, and the influences on scientists’ research. Recent Pew Research Center studies have […]
Most Americans express a broad interest in health and medicine, as well as in science and technology along with other topics. Seven-in-ten adults (70%) say they are interested in health and medicine, more than any other of the nine topics asked about in the survey. Large shares also say they are interested in local events […]
This chapter looks at public views about human evolution and perceptions of scientific consensus about evolution and the creation of the universe. Consistent with past Pew Research surveys and other public surveys, religious groups play a central role in beliefs about these topics. Numerous other factors also influence public views about evolution, however, including politics, […]
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