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KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor

An ongoing research project tracking the public’s attitudes and experiences with COVID-19 vaccinations.

Intentions

Target Population Groups

Messages

Messengers

Distribution

Experiences

Intentions

  • Vaccine Enthusiasm Shifts Across Partisans, But Republicans Remain Most Reluctant

    The latest Monitor reports changes in vaccine enthusiasm across partisans, with large gaps in enthusiasm remaining between groups.

  • One Quarter Of Those Who Want To "Wait And See" Say They'd Be More Likely To Get Vaccine If Only One Dose Was Required

    With the potential arrival of a one-dose COVID-19 vaccine to the U.S. market, most of those who have not yet been vaccinated say the number of doses doesn’t make a difference in their own intentions, but about a quarter (26%) of those in the “wait and see” group say they’d be more likely to get a vaccine if only one dose was required.

Vaccine Enthusiasm Has Increased Across Race/Ethnicity Groups Since December

The latest KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor reports across racial and ethnic groups, there was a steady increase from December to February in the share of adults who say they’ve already been vaccinated for COVID-19 or want the vaccine as soon as possible, and a corresponding decrease in the share who say they will “wait and see” before getting vaccinated. Despite this movement, differences in vaccine enthusiasm between members of different racial and ethnic groups persist. For example, six in ten White adults (61%) say they have already gotten the vaccine or want it as soon as possible compared to about half (52%) of Hispanic adults and four in ten Black adults (41%).

Potential Side Effects Are A Top Concern For Those Who Have Not Yet Received The COVID-19 Vaccine

Side effects remain a prominent concern; over half (56%) of those who have not yet been vaccinated, including 80% of those in the “wait and see” group, say they are “very concerned” or “somewhat concerned” that they might experience serious side effects from the vaccine. Other concerns cited by about a third of the unvaccinated and about half of those in the “wait and see” group” are that they might have to pay out of pocket for the vaccine (despite the fact that the vaccine is available at no cost), they might have to miss work if the vaccine’s side effects make them feel sick, or that they might get COVID-19 from the vaccine.

  • Confidence That The Vaccines Were Adequately Tested Among Their Race And Ethnic Groups Is Related To Vaccine Intentions

    Confidence in adequate testing among one’s own racial or ethnic group is related to vaccine intentions and enthusiasm among Black and Hispanic adults. Those who are at least somewhat confident that the vaccines have been adequately tested for safety and effectiveness among their own racial or ethnic group are about twice as likely to say they’ve already been vaccinated or want the vaccine as soon as they can get it compared to those who are not confident (58% vs. 24% among Black adults, 63% vs. 30% among Hispanic adults).

  • Large Majorities Of Both Black And White Seniors Are Eager To Get Vaccinated; Gaps Emerge At Younger Ages

    Adults ages 65 and over are one of the target groups for early vaccination, and one of the groups most likely to say they’ve already been vaccinated or want the vaccine as soon as possible. Looking at vaccine intentions by a combination of race and age, large majorities of both Black and White adults ages 65 and over fall into the most enthusiastic categories. However, while nearly half of older White adults (46%) say they they’ve already gotten the vaccine, about one-third of Black older adults say the same (35%).

Messengers

  • At Least One in Five Got Information About The Vaccine From Facebook, Including More Than A Third Of Those Most Vaccine Reluctant

    Facebook is a key social media source of information with at least one in five adults across levels of vaccine enthusiasm and hesitancy saying they got information about the vaccine from Facebook, including more than a third of those who say they definitely will not get the vaccine.

  • Television News Key Source Of Vaccine Information, Four In Ten Of Those Most Hesitant Cite Social Media As An Information Source

    Adults with differing levels of enthusiasm towards getting the COVID-19 vaccine report different media sources of information. Among those who say they want to get the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as they can, about half say they have gotten at least a fair amount of information about the vaccine from cable news (51%) and network television news (48%) in the past two weeks compared to about a third of adults who say they definitely will not get the vaccine (37% and 32% respectively) or who want to “wait and see” (37% and 36% respectively).

Eight In Ten Say They Will Turn To Health Care Providers When Deciding Whether To Get Vaccinated

Doctors, nurses, and health care providers are the source where most people say they will likely to turn for information when deciding to get a COVID-19 vaccine. This is followed by the CDC, family or friends, state or local public health departments, pharmacists, and religious leaders. Despite the fact that health care providers are the source people say they are most likely to turn to for vaccine information, relatively few (24%) of those who have not yet been vaccinated say they have already asked a doctor or other health care professional for information about the vaccine.

Target Population Groups

Majorities Of Black Women Express Concerns Over Safety, Effectiveness And Possible Side Effects Of Vaccine

The COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor finds a gender difference among Black adults in the level of concern about certain aspects of the COVID-19 vaccine. While large shares of Black men share the concerns Black women have about long term effects of the vaccine, safety and effectiveness, larger shares of Black women than Black men say they are concerned they might experience serious side effects (87% vs. 61%) or that they might get COVID-19 from the vaccine (68% vs. 38%), indicating that there may be a greater need for messaging and information to address these concerns among Black women.

Distribution

  • Majorities Across Partisans Are Confident COVID-19 Vaccines Are Being Distributed Fairly In The U.S.

    The January KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor finds majorities across partisanship are confident that currently the vaccines being distributed in the U.S. are being done fairly.

  • Majorities Say They Don't Have Enough Information About When And Where To Get A COVID-19 Vaccine

    Most U.S. adults who have not yet gotten vaccinated (94% of all adults) say they do not have enough information about when and where to get a COVID-19 vaccine once they are eligible. This includes six in ten Black and Hispanic adults who say they don't have enough information about where to get the vaccine.

Personal Health Care Providers Are Most Trusted Sources Of Information About COVID-19 Vaccine

Understanding who the public trusts for reliable vaccine information will be critical for any COVID-19 vaccination outreach effort. The December survey finds that, as with many health topics, people’s personal health care providers are the most trusted source for information on COVID-19 vaccines, with 85% saying they trust their own doctor or health care provider at least a fair amount for reliable vaccine information. Some local, state, and national messengers – including the CDC, FDA, Dr. Anthony Fauci, and state and local health officials – are trusted by majorities of the public as well.

messages

  • Most Convincing Messages To Get Vaccinated Emphasize Effectiveness, Protection From Illness, And Return To Normal Life

    The latest COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor tested different messages and information that might make people more likely to get vaccinated for COVID-19, and found that the messages the public finds the most convincing emphasize the vaccine’s effectiveness, protection from illness, and the ability to return to normal life.

  • Some Say Hearing About Rare Allergic Reactions And Short-Term Side Effects Would Make Them Less Likely To Get Vaccinated

    The Vaccine Monitor finds some messaging or information may make the public less eager to get a COVID-19 vaccine. Overall, 39% of those who have not yet been vaccinated say that hearing that “a small number of people have experienced a serious allergic reaction” to the vaccine would make them less likely to get vaccinated, and 33% say the same after hearing that some-people experience “short-term side effects like pain or fever.”

  • One-Third Of The Unvaccinated Believe Or Are Unsure About Some Common COVID-19 Vaccine Myths

    The Vaccine Monitor also reports that some of those who have not yet been vaccinated have heard misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccines and either believe it to be true or are unsure whether it is true or false. Overall, 34% of those who have not been vaccinated say they either believe or unsure if the COVID-19 vaccine contains live virus, the vaccine may cause infertility, or that you have to pay in order to get vaccinated.

  • Those In “Wait And See” And “Definitely Not” Groups Are More Likely To Believe Or Be Unsure About COVID-19 Vaccine Myths

    The share who believe or are unsure about at least one of these vaccine “myths” (that the vaccine contains the live coronavirus, that it causes infertility, or that an out-of-pocket cost is required to get vaccinated) is higher among those who want to “wait and see” how the vaccine works for other people (41%) and those who say they will “definitely not” get vaccinated (53%).

experiences

Disparities Remain In Who Reports Being Vaccinated And Knowing Others Who've Been Vaccinated For COVID-19

Having a close relationship with someone who’s been vaccinated is correlated with individuals’ own intentions to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Given this association between having a close relationship to someone who has gotten the vaccine and an individual’s personal level of vaccine enthusiasm, it’s notable that many at-risk populations are less likely than their counterparts to report having these connections.

 

KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor is an ongoing research project tracking the public’s attitudes and experiences with COVID-19 vaccinations. Using a combination of surveys and qualitative research, the Monitor tracks the dynamic nature of public opinion as vaccine development and distribution unfold, including vaccine confidence and acceptance, information needs, trusted messengers and messages, as well as the public’s experiences with vaccination. A list of all Vaccine Monitor reports is available here.

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Filling the need for trusted information on national health issues, the Kaiser Family Foundation is a nonprofit organization based in San Francisco, California.