COVID-19 vaccines have been readily available to the American public for months now. Vaccines are free and available to all populations, including undocumented immigrants and even travelers from foreign countries where vaccines are less readily available. However, despite the widespread availability of the vaccine, a large number of Americans remain unvaccinated against COVID-19: in fact, recent studies reported that nearly 2 in 5 Americans were refusing to get the jab.
The reasons for refusing the vaccine vary by individual. A recent poll revealed that approximately 90 percent of unvaccinated Americans were more afraid of possible side effects from the vaccine than COVID -19 itself [1]. Around 16 percent of the unvaccinated individuals believed that the virus spread equally in both vaccinated and non-vaccinated populations [1]. These beliefs run contrary to studies which have shown that the side effects of all available COVID-19 vaccines are mild except in rare cases, and that the vast majority of new COVID-19 cases are in unvaccinated populations [2,3]. Even more concerning is the fact that 1 in 5 Americans believe that the vaccine is a ploy for the U.S. government to microchip the population – a popular conspiracy which has been a major obstacle to the vaccination effort [1].
While “anti-vaxxers” can be found in any demographic, there are some groups which appear to be more prone to taking this stance. Studies have shown that white individuals and individuals without a college degree are more likely to reject the vaccine. Moreover, political alignment is also a predictor for vaccine compliance: 29 percent of Republicans have refused the vaccine, compared to only 4 percent of Democrats [4].
Despite the fact that many unvaccinated Americans believe otherwise, the decision to not get vaccinated has very real consequences. Recent data have shown that unvaccinated individuals are 11 times more likely to die from COVID-19. They are also five times more likely to get infected, and 10 times more likely to end up in the hospital from COVID-19-related complications [5]. In fact, the numbers from this study are more modest compared to most: other reports have claimed that unvaccinated individuals are up to 49 times more likely to be hospitalized from COVID-19 [6]. These studies indicate that all three of the vaccines that are authorized in the US are highly effective at mitigating the spread/severity of disease. In other words, if all eligible individuals were to get vaccinated, it would significantly increase the chance that life could return to the normality of the pre-pandemic era.
The natural next question is whether or not unvaccinated individuals are willing to change their minds. A poll taken by YouGov gave a less-than-optimistic answer: many of the less-educated anti-vaxxers said that it was very unlikely they could be convinced to get the shot [1]. However, for those that can be convinced, it may be helpful to have a strategy for having “the vaccine discussion.” According to this article in The Atlantic, it can be helpful to explain that vaccines work to provoke the body’s innate immune system, thus challenging the common notion that vaccines are foreign bodies that alter one’s biology.
References
1 Frankovic, K. (2021, July 15). Why won’t Americans get vaccinated? Retrieved from https://today.yougov.com/topics/politics/articles-reports/2021/07/15/why-wont-americans-get-vaccinated-poll-data
2 COVID-19 Vaccine Effectiveness and Safety. (2021, September 21). Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/covid19_vaccine_safety.html
3 Keating, D., Ahmed, N., Nirappil, F., Stanley-Becker, I., & Bernstein, L. (2021, June 14). Coronavirus infections dropping where people are vaccinated, rising where they are not, Post analysis finds. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2021/06/14/covid-cases-vaccination-rates/
4 Economist/YouGov Poll: Survey results. (2021). Retrieved from https://today.yougov.com/topics/economist/survey-results
5 Monitoring Incidence of COVID-19 Cases, Hospitalizations, and Deaths, by Vaccination Status – 13 U.S. Jurisdictions, April 4–July 17, 2021. (2021, September 16). Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/mm7037e1.htm?s_cid=mm7037e1_w
6 Spitzer, G. (2021, September 14). New data dashboard tracks COVID-19 risk for unvaccinated people compared to vaccinated people. Retrieved from https://publichealthinsider.com/2021/09/03/new-data-dashboard-tracks-covid-19-risk-for-unvaccinated-people-compared-to-vaccinated-people/