Vaccines have been in the news a lot lately. Our latest survey results show that 43% of respondents would get a COVID-19 vaccine today, if one became available (“strongly agree” or “agree”).
These views varied slightly among political party affiliation with Democrats more willing to get a COVID-19 vaccine. Just over half of Democrats say they would get a COVID-19 vaccine, while a third of Republicans and a third of Independents say the same. These results have been remarkably consistent since this question was first asked in early September.
Regardless of political party, most people are concerned about the safety of a vaccine when one becomes available. More than three quarters (77%) of respondents worry about the safety of a vaccine if one is “approved quickly” (“strongly agree” or “agree”). Furthermore, only 35% of respondents are confident the FDA will only approve a COVID-19 vaccine if it is safe.
Perspectives on the flu vaccine strongly relate to views of a potential COVID-19 vaccine. Our survey results show that 37% of respondents received the flu vaccine for the 2019-2020 season. Among respondents who received the flu vaccine last year, 61% would get a COVID-19 vaccine today, if one became available (“strongly agree” or “agree”). For those who did not receive a flu vaccine, only 32% indicated a willingness to get a COVID-19 vaccine.
Consistent with data on consumers’ willingness to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, behavior relating to the flu vaccine is differentiated by political identification. According to our survey, 42% of Democrats, 33% Republicans, and 31% Independents received the flu vaccine last year.
Last updated on October 15, 2020. Please check back for updates.
Preliminary results based on 302 online survey respondents in the United States. Data from October 2, 2020 through October 4, 2020.
For more information about our survey techniques, click here to visit our Methods page.