Most Americans who haven't gotten a COVID-19 vaccination say it's not likely that they will ever be getting one, or even to change their minds about the matter, according to a new poll.
In a Gallup Poll released Monday, 78% of adults who don't plan to be vaccinated said they're unlikely to change their plans, and 58% said they are "not likely at all" to change their minds.
Further, one in five adults who are reluctant to get a shot say they are open to reconsidering their stance, but just 2% said they are "very likely" to get a shot and 19% are "somewhat likely" to be vaccinated.
The same poll, however, found that 60% of U.S. adults are saying they have been fully vaccinated, but 24% said they don't plan to be vaccinated.
More than half those polled, at 53%, said they worry about people who are refusing a vaccine, while 25% say they're "very worried" about the rate of hesitancy.
The vaccine-reluctant adults were not distributed equally among demographic groups:
- About half of Republicans, or 46%, compared with 31% of independents and 6% of Democrats, do not plan to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
- Americans without a college degree are much more likely than college graduates to be hesitant about getting shots, by 31% to 12%.
- Hesitancy is more common among middle-aged Americans, or 33% of those between the ages of 35 and 54, than among younger people at 22% and older Americans, at 20%.
The Gallup poll was based on self-administered web surveys and conducted on conducted May 18-23 among 3,572 adults. It has a margin of error of 3 percentage points.
It comes as the public call from politicians and more are urging Americans to get their vaccinations, and after the Centers for Disease Control eased its guidance on face masks for fully-vaccinated people.
In addition, states have created lottery systems with prizes ranging from cash to college scholarships, and in West Virginia, guns, to encourage people to get vaccinated.
The Biden administration last week announced plans to increase its efforts in hopes of having 70% of American adults at least partially vaccinated by July 4.
Gallup noted that if just half of the 12% who said in the poll that they plan to get shots follow through, Biden's goal of 70% will be reached, even if people who don't plan to get vaccinations don't change their minds.
According to the pollster's data, the ceiling for vaccinations could reach 80% of American adults, including the 76% of people who have gotten their shots and the 5% of people who said in the poll that they don't plan to get vaccinations, but they are somewhat likely to change their minds.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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