(Trends Wide) — A new survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) revealed that the highly communicable delta variant, hospital overload, and knowing someone who has died or became seriously ill from COVID-19 fueled the recent rise in disease. vaccination in the United States.
Among people who have been vaccinated since June 1, 39% said they were motivated by the transmission of the delta variant, 38% by the increasing burden of covid-19 in hospitals and 36% by knowing someone who became seriously ill or died.
35% said that an important reason was to participate in activities where vaccination is required, such as travel.
19% said it was because their employer required it.
15% of people who have been vaccinated for the first time since June said they were motivated by the full approval of Pfizer’s vaccine by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). ), but only 2% of the population studied cited this reason as the main reason for vaccination. Pfizer’s vaccine had previously been available to people over the age of 16 under an emergency use authorization.
The report notes that 19% of those newly vaccinated said that social pressure from family and friends was an important reason for getting vaccinated. 5%, meanwhile, said it was the main reason.
The KFF survey was conducted between September 13 and 22, and comprises a nationally representative sample of 1,519 adults. The margin of error is plus or minus 3 percentage points.
Young people and Hispanics, among the most vaccinated since July
The report indicates that those who live in areas with a high number of COVID-19 cases and deaths are more likely to say they have been vaccinated since June 1: almost a quarter of vaccinated adults surveyed in counties with a high number of cases said they had been vaccinated after that date.
Current data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that 77% of American adults have been vaccinated at least once.
Since July, the largest increases in vaccination rates have occurred among people ages 18 to 29 – an increase of 11 percentage points – and among Hispanic adults – an increase of 12 percentage points, KFF said.
However, the United States now faces a stagnation in vaccination numbers.
This Monday, the US reported a seven-day average of 231,695 people who started vaccination each day. This is the lowest figure since mid-January, and a decrease of 47% compared to the average of the previous month.
In the KFF report, some of the longest immunization delays occurred in low-income populations, rural populations, and among Republicans.
Uninsured adults under 65 were the least likely to be vaccinated in this study, with only 54% reporting having started vaccination.
Most respondents believe that covid-19 is here to stay
The majority of American adults surveyed believe that Covid-19 will persist in the United States, similar to seasonal flu, according to KFF.
In their new update, 79% of adults said they believe Covid-19 will continue to be low as “something the US will learn to live with and manage.” Only 14% said they believed the virus would be eliminated.
The idea that the virus could be eliminated was more popular among unvaccinated adults than vaccinated adults, with 18% of unvaccinated adults saying that COVID-19 will be eliminated in the United States, compared to 13% of vaccinated adults.
“The public seems resigned to a future in which Covid-19 is still present in the United States and is managed in much the same way as seasonal flu, rather than one in which the disease is completely eliminated,” the report said. .
Among those surveyed, 36% said they would be “satisfied, but not excited” if Covid-19 persisted like the seasonal flu, and 35% said they would be “dissatisfied, but not angry” with this result.
Nearly 1 in 4 Democrats polled said they would be angry at this result, while Republicans were the most likely to say they would be satisfied, but not thrilled.
Opinions divided on the drivers
Discussions about boosters increased public confidence in COVID-19 vaccines overall, the new survey suggests, but this was not the case for people who are not vaccinated.
Sixty-two percent of adults said that news about the potential boosters “shows that scientists continue to find ways to make vaccines more effective,” while one-third say they “show that vaccines don’t work as well as they used to. promised”.
Among the unvaccinated, 71% said the news that some might need boosters was a sign that the vaccines are not working.
The US health authorities have stressed that available vaccines continue to provide strong protection against COVID-19, but some people – such as the elderly, those in long-term care facilities and those who run increased risk due to underlying conditions or their job – may benefit from a booster dose.
The survey was conducted before boosters were available, although immunosuppressed people were already recommended to receive third doses of mRNA vaccines.
As discussions about booster doses of the Covid-19 vaccine intensified, most adults had heard of the possibility of an additional dose of the vaccine. About 45% of American adults surveyed said the information they had seen was useful and 38% said it was confusing, according to KFF data. But that difference widened depending on the vaccination status.
54% of adults who were at least partially vaccinated said the booster information was helpful to them. Only 24% of unvaccinated adults found the booster information helpful, and 45% of unvaccinated adults said they found it confusing.
In the fully vaccinated population, 55% said they would “definitely” get a booster dose if recommended. Meanwhile, only 3% of the adults surveyed said they had already received an additional dose.
(Trends Wide) — A new survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) revealed that the highly communicable delta variant, hospital overload, and knowing someone who has died or became seriously ill from COVID-19 fueled the recent rise in disease. vaccination in the United States.
Among people who have been vaccinated since June 1, 39% said they were motivated by the transmission of the delta variant, 38% by the increasing burden of covid-19 in hospitals and 36% by knowing someone who became seriously ill or died.
35% said that an important reason was to participate in activities where vaccination is required, such as travel.
19% said it was because their employer required it.
15% of people who have been vaccinated for the first time since June said they were motivated by the full approval of Pfizer’s vaccine by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). ), but only 2% of the population studied cited this reason as the main reason for vaccination. Pfizer’s vaccine had previously been available to people over the age of 16 under an emergency use authorization.
The report notes that 19% of those newly vaccinated said that social pressure from family and friends was an important reason for getting vaccinated. 5%, meanwhile, said it was the main reason.
The KFF survey was conducted between September 13 and 22, and comprises a nationally representative sample of 1,519 adults. The margin of error is plus or minus 3 percentage points.
Young people and Hispanics, among the most vaccinated since July
The report indicates that those who live in areas with a high number of COVID-19 cases and deaths are more likely to say they have been vaccinated since June 1: almost a quarter of vaccinated adults surveyed in counties with a high number of cases said they had been vaccinated after that date.
Current data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that 77% of American adults have been vaccinated at least once.
Since July, the largest increases in vaccination rates have occurred among people ages 18 to 29 – an increase of 11 percentage points – and among Hispanic adults – an increase of 12 percentage points, KFF said.
However, the United States now faces a stagnation in vaccination numbers.
This Monday, the US reported a seven-day average of 231,695 people who started vaccination each day. This is the lowest figure since mid-January, and a decrease of 47% compared to the average of the previous month.
In the KFF report, some of the longest immunization delays occurred in low-income populations, rural populations, and among Republicans.
Uninsured adults under 65 were the least likely to be vaccinated in this study, with only 54% reporting having started vaccination.
Most respondents believe that covid-19 is here to stay
The majority of American adults surveyed believe that Covid-19 will persist in the United States, similar to seasonal flu, according to KFF.
In their new update, 79% of adults said they believe Covid-19 will continue to be low as “something the US will learn to live with and manage.” Only 14% said they believed the virus would be eliminated.
The idea that the virus could be eliminated was more popular among unvaccinated adults than vaccinated adults, with 18% of unvaccinated adults saying that COVID-19 will be eliminated in the United States, compared to 13% of vaccinated adults.
“The public seems resigned to a future in which Covid-19 is still present in the United States and is managed in much the same way as seasonal flu, rather than one in which the disease is completely eliminated,” the report said. .
Among those surveyed, 36% said they would be “satisfied, but not excited” if Covid-19 persisted like the seasonal flu, and 35% said they would be “dissatisfied, but not angry” with this result.
Nearly 1 in 4 Democrats polled said they would be angry at this result, while Republicans were the most likely to say they would be satisfied, but not thrilled.
Opinions divided on the drivers
Discussions about boosters increased public confidence in COVID-19 vaccines overall, the new survey suggests, but this was not the case for people who are not vaccinated.
Sixty-two percent of adults said that news about the potential boosters “shows that scientists continue to find ways to make vaccines more effective,” while one-third say they “show that vaccines don’t work as well as they used to. promised”.
Among the unvaccinated, 71% said the news that some might need boosters was a sign that the vaccines are not working.
The US health authorities have stressed that available vaccines continue to provide strong protection against COVID-19, but some people – such as the elderly, those in long-term care facilities and those who run increased risk due to underlying conditions or their job – may benefit from a booster dose.
The survey was conducted before boosters were available, although immunosuppressed people were already recommended to receive third doses of mRNA vaccines.
As discussions about booster doses of the Covid-19 vaccine intensified, most adults had heard of the possibility of an additional dose of the vaccine. About 45% of American adults surveyed said the information they had seen was useful and 38% said it was confusing, according to KFF data. But that difference widened depending on the vaccination status.
54% of adults who were at least partially vaccinated said the booster information was helpful to them. Only 24% of unvaccinated adults found the booster information helpful, and 45% of unvaccinated adults said they found it confusing.
In the fully vaccinated population, 55% said they would “definitely” get a booster dose if recommended. Meanwhile, only 3% of the adults surveyed said they had already received an additional dose.