Coronavirus

KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor

The KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor dashboard provides an overview of the findings on several key topics highlighted below

Parents & Kids

Equity

(Mis)Information & Trust

Masking & Precautions

Pandemic Impacts

Mandates

Vaccines/Boosters

Parents and kids

  • More Than Four In Ten Parents Of Children Under 5 Eligible For The Vaccine Say They Will "Definitely Not" Vaccinate Their Child For COVID-19

    The COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor finds that 17% of parents of children ages 6 months through 4 years old say their child has gotten vaccinated for COVID-19 or say that they will get them vaccinated “right away.” About one in four parents (27%) say they want to wait and see how the vaccine is working for other young children before getting their child vaccinated while about one in eight (13%) say they will only get their child vaccinated if they are required to do so for school or childcare. Notably, more than four in ten parents (43%) say they will “definitely not” get their eligible child under 5 years old vaccinated for COVID-19.

  • Vaccine Uptake Among Children Ages 5-11 Has Slowed As More Than A Third Of Parents Say They Definitely Won't Get Their 5-11 Year-Old Vaccinated

    Reported vaccine uptake among children ages 5-11 has slowed in recent months. Four in ten parents of kids ages 5-11 now report their child has gotten vaccinated (40%). Just 1% of parents now say they will get their child vaccinated right away, while about one in ten parents of 5-11 year-olds still want to “wait and see.” Notably, nearly half of parents of children ages 5-11 say they either will only get them vaccinated if required to do so (10%) or say they definitely won’t get their 5-11 year-old vaccinated (37%).

  • Vaccination Rates Among Children Ages 12-17 Have Plateaued Since The Start Of The Year

    Parents’ intentions to vaccinate their older children have remained relatively steady since the start of the year. About six in ten parents of teenagers, ages 12-17, say their child has been vaccinated (57%), with an additional 5% who say they want to “wait and see” before deciding. Nearly three in ten parents of 12-17 year-olds say they will definitely not get their child vaccinated (28%) while a further 8% say they will only do so if they are required.

  • Most Parents Of Vaccinated Children Ages 5 And Older Say Their Child Has Already Gotten Or Is Likely To Get A Booster Dose Of The Vaccine

    With COVID-19 booster shots authorized for children between the ages of 12-17 earlier this year and more recently authorized for children ages 5-11, most parents of vaccinated children in these age groups say their child has gotten or is likely to get a booster dose. About three in ten (29%) parents of vaccinated children ages 12-17 say their teen has received a booster dose, and nearly half say they “definitely” (20%) or “probably” (29%) will do so. Among parents of vaccinated children ages 5-11, one in five (20%) say their child has already received a booster dose and a majority say they will “definitely” (31%) or “probably” (24%) get one.

Perceived Lack Of Research, Potential Side Effects, And Safety Concerns Are Among The Top Reasons Why Parents Say They Won't Vaccinate Their Young Children

Parents who have not yet vaccinated their eligible children under 5 and do not plan to do so right away offer many different reasons why they are reluctant to get their child vaccinated. Concerns about the newness of the vaccine and not enough testing or research (19%) emerge as a top reason why parents do not plan to vaccinate their young children as soon as possible. Concerns over side effects (14%) and the overall safety of the vaccines (13%) are also prominent reasons given by parents as to why they do not plan on vaccinating their young child. Some parents (11%) say they do not think their child needs the vaccine or say they are not worried about COVID-19.

Majorities Of Parents Of Children Between 6 Months and 4 Years Concerned About Long-Term, Serious Side Effects Of COVID-19 Vaccine In Children

Parents’ worries about side effects and about the newness of the vaccines are evident when they explain in their own words why they will not get their young child vaccinated for COVID-19 right away. Parents’ concerns about the efficacy of the vaccine and the feeling that the vaccine is not needed are also apparent in some of the reasons they give for not vaccinating their young child. Notably, more than four in ten (44%) Black parents of unvaccinated children under 5 years old say they are concerned they might need to take time off work to get their child vaccinated or care for them if they experience side effects. Among Hispanic parents of young unvaccinated children, 45% say they are concerned about being able to get the vaccine for their child from a place they trust and about a third (36%) express concern that they might have to pay an out-of-pocket cost to get their child the vaccine.

Equity

Black And Hispanic Adults More Likely To Have Experienced Negative Impacts Of The Pandemic

Black and Hispanic adults report higher levels of financial impacts and worry about illness than their White counterparts when it comes to COVID-19 related issues, reflecting the increased burden the pandemic has placed on people of color over the past two years.

Black And Hispanic Parents Are Less Likely Than White Parents To Feel Their Child Is Very Safe From COVID-19 At School

Nearly half of parents with a child in school think their child is “very safe” (44%) from the risk of exposure to COVID-19 when they are at school and an additional 40% think their child is “somewhat safe”. However, parents who are Black or Hispanic are less likely than White parents to say they feel their child is “very safe” from COVID-19 when they are at school.

(mis)Information and trust

Trust In Government Sources For COVID-19 Vaccine Information Has Fallen, Particularly Among Republicans

The share who says they trust President Biden, the FDA, the CDC, and Dr. Fauci to provide reliable information on COVID-19 vaccines has declined since December 2020. Despite some criticism of how the FDA and CDC have handled vaccine rollout and messaging, trust among Democrats has remained high. However, among Republicans, the share who say they trust the FDA fell from a majority (62%) to about four in ten (43%).

Similarly, the share of Republicans who trust the CDC at least a fair amount fell from a majority in December (57%) to four in ten (41%). The share of Republicans who trust Dr. Fauci for vaccine information fell by roughly half between December 2020 and now, from 47% to 25%. In addition, trust in President Biden, already low among Republicans in December when he was President-elect, sank even further.

Seven In Ten Women Who Are Pregnant Or Planning To Believe Or Are Unsure About At Least One Piece Of Misinformation Surrounding Pregnancy And COVID-19 Vaccines

Among those for whom questions about the safety of the vaccines and pregnancy are particularly relevant – women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant – nearly four in ten (37%) are unsure if pregnant women should not get the vaccines and 44% are unsure if the COVID-19 vaccines cause infertility. Altogether, among women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant, 60% believe that pregnant women should not get the vaccine or are unsure if this is true, 58% believe or are unsure whether the vaccines have been shown to cause infertility, and 52% believe or are unsure whether it is unsafe for breastfeeding women to get vaccinated.

GREATER THAN COVID

Questions about pregnancy, fertility and the COVID-19 vaccines answered!

OB/GYNs, a nurse and midwife affirm the safety of the COVID-19 vaccines during pregnancy and debunk myths about the impact on fertility in 40+ new FAQ videos from THE CONVERSATION / LA CONVERSACIÓN. The new videos join the expansive living video library of more than 300 FAQ videos in English and Spanish featuring a diverse group of more than 30 healthcare workers of color produced by KFF under its Greater Than COVID public information response.

Masking and other precautions

Slim Majority Say They're Wearing A Mask Every Or Most Of The Time, Higher Shares Among Democrats, Lower Income, Black And Hispanic Adults

Most adults report continuing to wear a mask at least sometimes in public places. Around half of adults (51%) say that in the past 30 days they wore a mask every time or most of the time when indoors in public places, including 28% who say they wore one every time. Another 29% say they wore a mask some of the time, and 19% say they never wore a mask indoors in public places.

In line with attitudes about mask requirements on transportation, Democrats are more likely to say they always or mostly wore a mask indoors in the past 30 days (75%), compared to independents (46%) and Republicans (30%).

Two-thirds of unvaccinated adults say they have been wearing a mask some of the time or never have worn a mask indoors in the past 30 days (67%), while one-third (32%) report wearing one every or most of the time. A majority of vaccinated adults say they wore a mask every or most of the time (56%).

Showing differences by race and ethnicity, twice the share of Black adults compared to White adults report wearing a mask always or most of the time in the past 30 days (80% vs. 39%). Around two-thirds of Hispanic adults say the same (65%).

Six In Ten Adults Say People Should Continue Masking To Avoid COVID-19 Surges, With Splits By Partisanship, Income, Race

About six in ten adults (59%) say that now that COVID-19 case rates are lower, people should continue to wear masks in some public places to minimize the spread and avoid another surge in cases, while four in ten say that people should stop wearing masks in most public places so things can go back to normal. There are significant divides not only by partisanship, and vaccination status, but also by race, ethnicity, and income.

Eight-five percent of Democrats say that people should continue to wear masks, as do 57% of independents and 67% of vaccinated adults. Around seven in ten Republicans (69%) say that people should stop wearing masks so that things can return to normal, as do 67% of unvaccinated adults.

While White adults are split (49% say people should stop wearing masks, 49% say they should continue to wear them in some public places), large majorities of Black adults (88%) and Hispanic adults (69%) say that people should continue to wear masks in some public places to minimize the spread of COVID-19. Around two-thirds of those with a household income of less than $40,000 a year (68%) say the same, compared to 55% of those with an income between $40,000-$89,900 and 54% of those with an income of $90,000 or more. This finding that people of color are more likely to support continued mask wearing may reflect larger shares of Black and Hispanic adults being employed in service industries compared to White adults, putting them at an increased risk of exposure to COVID-19.

IMPACTS OF THE PANDEMIC

Half Say COVID-19 Pandemic Had A Negative Impact On Their Mental Health, Four In Ten On Physical Health, Financial Situation

The survey finds the pandemic has taken a heavy toll on adults and children over the last two years. Whether it comes to their education, work, finances, mental or physical health, many – regardless of race, ethnicity and income – report feeling the negative effects of the pandemic.

The most common negative effects of the pandemic, as reported by parents, are about their children’s education and mental health. Almost two-thirds of parents say that the pandemic has negatively affected their children’s education (63%), with 28% saying it had no effect, and 9% who report it had a positive effect. Moreover, over half (55%) of parents say the pandemic has had a negative impact on their children’s mental health, compared to 36% who say it made no difference, and 9% saying it had a positive effect.

Many Workers, Including Six In Ten Of Those Earning Less Than $40,000, Report Having To Miss Work During Past Three Months Due To COVID-19 Concerns

Four in ten workers (42%) say they had to miss work at least once in the past three months because of a COVID-19 related concern or sickness. This includes one in four workers (26%) who say they had to miss work to quarantine following a COVID-19 exposure, one in five who missed work because they tested positive for COVID-19, and one in eight (13%) who missed work because their place of employment was closed or reduced hours due to COVID-19 concerns. Additionally, three in ten parents (28%) say they had to miss work in the past three months because they had to stay home with a child who had to quarantine, or their child’s school went virtual due to COVID-19 concerns.

Two-Thirds Of Young Adults Report Negative Impacts From The COVID-19 Pandemic On Their Mental Health

Younger people also report disproportionate effects from the COVID-19 pandemic, especially when it comes to their mental and physical health. Two-thirds of young adults aged 18-29 (67%) report that the pandemic has had a negative impact on their mental health, compared to just over half of 30-49 year-olds (54%), and under four in ten 50-64 year-olds (38%) and those over the age of 65 (37%).

Young adults are also more likely to report difficulties with their physical health due to the pandemic, with 53% of those under 30 reporting a negative impact, 47% of those 30-49, 37% of those 50-64, and 28% of those over the age of 65. In addition, larger shares of young adults report negative effects on their employment situation (36%) compared to older adults, including those ages 50-64 (23%) and those 65 and older (17%).
government and mandates

Adults Split On Whether Mask Mandate On Transit Should Extend Or Expire

Before the federal mask mandate expired on April 18, adults were split on whether the federal government should allow the requirement to expire (51%) or extend the requirement (48%).

Majorities of Democrats (72%) and vaccinated adults (54%) supported extending the masking requirement on transportation. By contrast, three-quarters of Republicans (76%) and unvaccinated adults (73%), and over half of independents (55%) would have prefer to let the requirement expire.

However, preferences for this federal mandate extended beyond partisanship and vaccination status, with lower income adults and people of color voicing support for keeping the requirement.

Four In Ten Workers Say They Are Required To Get Vaccinated, One In Ten Would Like To Be Required, And Another Four In Ten Don't Want A Requirement

Four in ten workers say their employer is requiring on-site workers to be vaccinated for COVID-19, up from 29% in November 2021. This includes 9% of all workers who say their employer is requiring employees to have a COVID-19 booster in addition to their initial dose. Among workers whose employer does not require on-site workers to be vaccinated for COVID-19, most (78%, or 45% of all workers) say they do not want their employer to have a vaccination requirement, while 20% of those without a requirement (11% of all workers) say they want their employer to require vaccination.

Among partisans, about two-thirds of Democrats and over half of independents either say their employer requires vaccines or they want their employer to require vaccines, while about seven in ten Republicans (69%) say they are not currently subject to such a requirement and do not want their employer to put one in place.

Adults Split On Whether K-12 Schools Should Require COVID-19 Vaccines, With Significant Partisan Divides

The public is divided on whether K-12 schools should require their staff and eligible students to get a COVID-19 vaccine, with similar shares saying schools should (46%) and should not (51%) require vaccines. Three-fourths of Democrats (76%) say schools should require COVID-19 vaccinations while more than eight in ten Republicans (84%) say schools should not. Independents are more likely to say school should not require COVID-19 vaccines (56%) than to say they should be required (40%). Six in ten parents say schools should not require vaccines including majorities of parents of teens ages 12-17 (58%), children 5 to 11 years old (66%), and children under age 5 (59%).

VaccineS AND BOOSTERS

College Educated Adults, Democrats, Those With Higher Incomes, And Seniors Remain Most Likely To be Vaccinated And Have Received Their COVID-19 Booster Dose

The COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor finds that around three-quarters of adults (76%) say they have gotten at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, a share that continues to hold relatively steady since September 2021. This includes around half of adults who say are fully vaccinated and also received a COVID-19 booster dose (49%), a quarter who have been fully vaccinated but have not gotten their booster (24%), and a small share who are partially vaccinated (2%).

When it comes to demographic uptake for the COVID-19 vaccine, Democrats (90%), college graduates (90%), adults 65 and older (87%), and those with a household income of $90,000 or more (87%) continue to report the highest rates of vaccination. Those under the age of 65 without health insurance (55%), those with a household income of less than $40,000 a year (66%), adults living in rural areas (67%), those without a college degree (68%), adults under 30 (69%), and Republicans (69%) continue to report lower COVID-19 vaccine uptake than their counterparts.

Booster uptake similarly has remained relatively steady, with those groups with higher initial vaccine uptake also more likely to have received their booster dose. Overall, around half of adults report being fully vaccinated and have received their booster dose for COVID-19 (49%), with the largest shares among adults ages 65 and over (76%), Democrats (70%), and college graduates (67%). Notably, despite a high vaccine uptake rate (83%), about a third of Hispanic adults (33%) say they’re fully vaccinated for COVID-19 but haven’t received their booster dose yet.

About Three In Ten Republicans And One In Five Independents Say They "Definitely Won't" Get Vaccinated For COVID-19

Though most (76%) adults in the U.S. are now vaccinated for COVID-19, about one in five (19%, or 81% of unvaccinated adults) say they will “definitely not” be getting the COVID-19 vaccine. Few adults (4%, or 19% of unvaccinated adults) say there is a chance they still might get vaccinated at some point.
Across partisans, most Democrats (90%), independents (74%), and Republicans (69%) have already gotten vaccinated for COVID-19. However, nearly three in ten Republicans (29%) and nearly one in five independents (19%) say they definitely won’t get a COVID-19 vaccine. Few across political parties say there is a chance they may still get vaccinated.

Majority Of Vaccinated Adults Without A Booster Dose Say Feeling Protected From Their Initial Vaccination Or Prior Infection Is A Reason For Not Getting Booster, Half Say They Just Don't Want A Booster

When those who are vaccinated for COVID-19 but have not received a booster dose are asked about some reasons for not getting a booster, 57% say they feel they have enough protection from their initial vaccination or a prior infection, 52% say they just don’t want to get it, and 48% say they don’t think the boosters are effective, since some vaccinated people are still getting infected.

Vaccinated Hispanic adults without a COVID-19 booster shot are more likely to report they had bad side effects from a previous dose of the vaccine (36%) than White (21%) or Black adults (14%) and are also more likely than their counterparts to say they are worried about missing work.

Americans’ Attitudes and Experiences with COVID-19 Vaccines: What We’ve Learned from the Vaccine Monitor

The KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor Project has tracked the public’s evolving views about and experiences with the vaccines amid the ongoing pandemic. Our experts shared insights gleaned from nearly 40 Vaccine Monitor reports in a web briefing.

 

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.

The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation Headquarters: 185 Berry St., Suite 2000, San Francisco, CA 94107 | Phone 650-854-9400
Washington Offices and Barbara Jordan Conference Center: 1330 G Street, NW, Washington, DC 20005 | Phone 202-347-5270

www.kff.org | Email Alerts: kff.org/email | facebook.com/KaiserFamilyFoundation | twitter.com/kff

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