Poll: Americans May Avoid COVID-19 Vaccine When First Released

A new poll shows many Americans will not get a first-generation COVID-19 vaccine as soon as it becomes available because they do not trust the pharmaceutical companies to adequately test the immunization. The latest Axios/Ipsos poll reveals 60% will avoid the vaccine when it’s released, while 39% say they will get the vaccine. These poll numbers reveal a growing lack of trust in that still under development first-generation vaccine. This latest poll shows those who say they will get the vaccine has dropped 8 points (47% to 39%) since late August 2020.

Most of those polled don’t expect to pay any out-of-pocket costs for the vaccine, instead, they’re expecting insurance or the federal government to pay for it. About half only want to spend $50 or less for a vaccine, while another one-third say they are not willing to pay anything for the coronavirus vaccine.

The poll also shows more parents are turning to distance learning after COVID-19 scares in their school districts. 64% say they are using virtual or distance learning for their children. That number continues to rise since the start of the school year.

The poll’s results also show the emotional toll that distance learning is having on students. Since early August, parents of distance learning students are more likely to report a decline in their child’s emotional health. In fact, more than 1 in 3 (37%) say this is the case. That’s higher than the 27% of Americans who say their emotional health is getting worse because of the virus and its impact on our lives.

Experts say that it could be more than a year before the COVID-19 vaccine is available to the general public