A Third of Americans Say They Definitely or Probably Won't Get the Coronavirus Vaccine, Poll Finds

A new survey from the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found about one in three Americans said they definitely or probably will not get immunized for COVID-19, reports the Baltimore Sun . Although 67 percent of 1,055 adults polled plan to get vaccinated or have already done so, 15 percent are certain they will not, while 17 percent said they probably will not. Many respondents doubt the vaccine's safety and effectiveness, particularly younger people, those lacking college degrees, African Americans, and Republicans. Of respondents who said they definitely will not get the vaccine, 65 percent mentioned concerns about side effects, despite the shots' safety record over the past months. About the same number said they do not trust the vaccines, while 38 percent do not believe they need one. A similar percentage said they do not know if a COVID-19 vaccine will work, and they do not trust the government. According to leading U.S. government infectious disease researcher Anthony Fauci, between 70 percent and 85 percent of the national population needs to get vaccinated to stop the pandemic, while the spread of more contagious mutations of the virus adds urgency to rapid mass inoculations. Harvard University's William Hanage said 67 percent U.S. immunization is not sufficient to halt the pandemic, adding "you're going to need to get quite large proportions of the population vaccinated before you see a real effect."