Some Who Were Hesitant to Get a Vaccine in
January Say They Changed Their Mind Because of Family, Friends and Their
Personal Doctors
A new
KFF
COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor report finds that people who were
initially hesitant to get a vaccine in January but ultimately did so
often say that family, friends and their personal doctors helped change
their minds.
The
report features a second round of interviews with a nationally
representative sample of adults six months after they first shared their
vaccine intentions in January, early in the nation’s vaccine distribution
effort. The new survey assesses whether or not they got a COVID-19
vaccine, the reasons behind their choice, and how they feel about their
decision.
Half initially told us
that they planned on getting vaccinated as soon as possible or had
already received at least one dose. Now two-thirds say have been
vaccinated, including the vast majority (92%) of those who had planned to
get vaccinated “as soon as possible” in January, along with slightly more
than half (54%) of those who wanted to “wait and see.” At the same time,
three quarters (76%) of those who previously said they would get
vaccinated “only if required” or would “definitely not” get a COVID-19
vaccine remain unvaccinated.
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Importantly, one in five
(21%) of all adults are now vaccinated after expressing some level of
hesitation in January, saying then that they planned on waiting to get
vaccinated, would only get it if required, or would definitely not get
vaccinated. Many in this group cite friends, family members, and their
personal doctors as influencing their decision to get a vaccine. This
includes seeing friends and family members get vaccinated without serious
side effects (25%), pressure from friends and family (8%), being able to
safely visit family members (3%), and conversations with their personal
doctors (11%). Another one in ten (9%) say that easing of restrictions
for vaccinated people was a factor.
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In their own
words: What did you learn or hear that persuaded you to get vaccinated?
“Not
many side effects and others have been vaccinated” – 21 year old, male, white,
independent, Georgia (“wait and see” in January)
“That
it was clearly safe. No one was dying.” – 32 year old, male, white, Republican, South Carolina
(“wait and see” in January)
“Five
generations of our family are getting together in one week from now” – 68 year old, male, white,
Democrat, California (“wait and see” in January)
“My Ob/Gyn advised it
was safe to take while pregnant and/or trying to conceive and there are
studies showing women who get pregnant that caught COVID had more
hematological problems during and after birth” – 32 year old, female, white,
independent, Alabama (“wait and see” in January)
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In
fact, some vaccinated adults cite protecting or being able to see their
friends and family members as the main reason why they decided to
get vaccinated. And two-thirds (65%) say they have personally tried to
persuade friends and family members to get a shot.
One-third of all adults
remain unvaccinated, including 16% of adults who had previously said they
planned on getting vaccinated “as soon as possible” or wanted to “wait
and see” see before getting a vaccine. When asked why they changed their
minds, many cite the side effects of the vaccine as a key reason.
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In their own
words: What changed your mind?
“What's
changed my mind is people telling me how sick they got after they
received the vaccination. I really don't want to be sick from a
vaccination so I kind of lost interest” – 54 year old, male, white, Republican, California
(“ASAP” in January)
“I have
allergies considering the possible risks. The risks in my opinion are not
a chance I'm willing to take.” – 18
year old, male, Hispanic, Democrat, Florida (“ASAP” in January)
“My husband got the
vaccine and he experienced a lot of side effects. I usually end of having
some [or] all the listed side effects” – 42 year old, female, Hispanic, independent,
California (“wait and see” in January)
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Available through the
Monitor’s online
dashboard, the new report also quotes the open-ended responses
given by many of those surveyed reflecting the diversity of their views
and experiences related to their views and decision around vaccination.
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