KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor: In Their Own Words, Six Months Later
Findings
The KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor is an ongoing research project tracking the publicâs attitudes and experiences with COVID-19 vaccinations. Using a combination of surveys and qualitative research, this project tracks the dynamic nature of public opinion as vaccine development and distribution unfold, including vaccine confidence and hesitancy, trusted messengers and messages, as well as the publicâs experiences with vaccination.
Key Findings
At the beginning of 2021 as vaccine distribution began in the U.S., KFF conducted interviews with a nationally representative sample of adults using open-ended questions to better understand public concerns around receiving a COVID-19 vaccine. Six months later, we recontacted these individuals to find out whether they chose to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, their reasoning behind their decisions, and how they are feeling about their choice.
- The vast majority (92%) of those who planned to get vaccinated âas soon as possibleâ in early 2021 have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, as have slightly more than half (54%) of individuals who had previously said they wanted to âwait and seeâ before getting vaccinated. On the other hand, a majority (76%) of people who had previously said they would âonly get vaccinated if requiredâ or said they would âdefinitely notâ get a COVID-19 vaccine remain unvaccinated.
- One-fifth of adults (21%) now report being vaccinated after saying in January they planned on waiting to get vaccinated, would only get it if required, or would definitely not get vaccinated. Many of these individuals noted the role of their friends and family members as well as their personal doctors in persuading them to get a vaccine. Seeing their friends and family members get vaccinated without serious side effects, talking to family members about being able to safely visit, and conversations with their personal doctors about their own risks were all persuasive factors for these individuals. A small but meaningful share also say the easing of restrictions for vaccinated people was a factor in their decision to get a vaccine.
- When asked to name the feeling that best describes how they feel now that they have been vaccinated, nearly a quarter of vaccinated adults offer responses around feeling safe (24%) and relieved (22%). Other positive feelings reported were freedom, confidence, and more certainty that if they did get COVID-19 it would be less serious or they were less likely to die from it. And while most respondents react with some positive emotion, one in ten said they felt the same or neutral. This feeling was more common among those who initially said they would âwait and seeâ in January or who said they would only get vaccinated if required or would not get vaccinated.
- Conversations with family members and friends have played a major role in persuading people to get vaccinated. Two-thirds of vaccinated adults say they have tried to persuade their friends and family members to get a COVID-19 vaccine, and 17% of adults who are now vaccinated after saying in January they planned on waiting to get vaccinated, would only get it if required, or would definitely not get vaccinated, say they were persuaded to do so by a family member and 5% say they were persuaded by a friend. In addition to this, others cite protecting friends and family members as the main reason for getting vaccinated and others offer being able to see their friends and family members as well as family pressure or encouragement as the main reasons why they chose to receive a vaccine.
- About one-fourth of those who previously said they planned on getting vaccinated âas soon as possibleâ or were wanting to âwait and seeâ before getting a vaccine, remain unvaccinated six months later. Some of these individuals either have an appointment to get a vaccine or still plan on getting it as soon as they are able, but one in ten (6% of total) now say they either will âonly get vaccinated if requiredâ or say they will âdefinitely notâ get a vaccine. When asked what changed their mind, many offer concerns about the side effects of the vaccine as the reasons why they now do not plan on getting vaccinated.
- Being concerned about side effects is the top reason offered by unvaccinated people for why they havenât gotten a COVID-19 vaccine. When asked what would motivate them to get vaccinated against COVID-19, most in the âwait and seeâ group say they just want more time to see how the vaccine affects others who have already gotten it.
Vaccine Behavior Largely Matches Previous Intentions
Nine in ten (92%) of those who said back in January 2021 they would get vaccinated as soon as they were able now report, six months later, that they have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. In addition, slightly more than half (54%) of those who were in the âwait and seeâ group back in January, say they have received a COVID-19 vaccine while 46% of adults in this group report not being vaccinated against COVID-19. A smaller share, one-fourth (24%) of those who said they would âonly get vaccinated if requiredâ or they would âdefinitely notâ get vaccinated now report receiving at least one dose, while the majority (76%) of adults in this group say they remain unvaccinated.
Three-fourths (72%) of the most vaccine enthusiastic group (those who said they would get vaccinated as soon as they could back in January) say they received a COVID-19 vaccine more than two months ago, compared to a majority of vaccinated adults from the âwait and seeâ group who say they received their vaccine either less than one month ago (10%) or between one and two months ago (46%).
Overall nearly half of adults either were already vaccinated in January (8%) or had said they planned to get vaccinated as soon as possible and have now received at least one dose (39%). An additional one in five adults (21%) are now vaccinated after saying in January they planned on waiting to get vaccinated, would only get it if required, or would definitely not get vaccinated. One-third of adults remain unvaccinated after either planning to get it as soon as possible or were going to wait and see back in January (17%) or had said they were only going to get vaccinated if required or were definitely not getting a COVID-19 vaccine (16%).
What Made Some People Decide to Get vaccinated?
When the 21% of adults who are now vaccinated after saying in January they planned on waiting to get vaccinated, would only get it if required, or would definitely not get vaccinated are asked in their own words what they learned or heard that persuaded them to get vaccinated, many discussed the role of their friends and family members as well as their personal doctors in their decision.
A common response mentioned by one-fourth of these individuals was that seeing others, especially friends and family, get vaccinated without side effects made them decide to get a vaccine.
In their own words: What did you learn or hear that persuaded you to get vaccinated?
âAlmost all of my friends were vaccinated with no side effects.â â 64 year old, female, black, Democrat, Tennessee (âwait and seeâ in January)
âFamily members and friends who got vaccinated had no serious side effects. Lots of regulations got lifted for vaccinated people.â â 43 year old, female, Asian, independent, Massachusetts (âwait and seeâ in January)
âNot many side effects and others have been vaccinatedâ â 21 year old, male, white, independent, Georgia (âwait and seeâ in January)
âThat it was clearly safe. No one was dyingâ â 32 year old, male, white, Republican, South Carolina (âwait and seeâ in January)
âI feel since our President got vaccinated & all is well with him, it was also safe for me.â â 75 year old, female, white, Democrat, Virginia (âwait and seeâ in January)
âI became convinced that some of the rumored side effects were not trueâ â 69 year old, male, white, independent, Colorado (âonly if requiredâ in January)
Others said they chose to get vaccinated either due to pressure from friends and family (8%), or they wanted to be able to safely visit with their friends and family members (3%).
In their own words: What did you learn or hear that persuaded you to get vaccinated?
âI went to visit my family members in another state and everyone there had been vaccinated with no problems so that encouraged me to go ahead and get vaccinated also I would the better protected and not a threat to them not being having itâ â 63 year old, male, black, independent, Texas (âwait and seeâ in January)
âFriends and family talked me into it, as did my place of employmentâ â 28 year old, male, white, independent, Virginia (âdefinitely notâ in January)
âMy husband bugged me to get it and I gave inâ â 42 year old, female, white, Republican, Indiana (âdefinitely notâ in January)
âFive generations of our family are getting together in one week from now.â â 68 year old, male, white, Democrat, California (âwait and seeâ in January)
âMy family persuaded me because of my sick kidsâ â 28 year old, female, Hispanic, Democrat, Texas (âwait and seeâ in January)
Another common response was that conversations with their doctors or health providers encouraged them to get vaccinated (11%).
In their own words: What did you learn or hear that persuaded you to get vaccinated?
âMy doctor recommended itâ â 70 year old, female, white, Democrat, Arizona (âdefinitely notâ in January)
âMy asthma doctor recommended I get itâ â 64 year old, female, white, Republican, Texas (âwait and seeâ in January)
âMy Ob/Gyn advised it was safe to take while pregnant and/or trying to conceive and there are studies showing women who get pregnant that caught COVID had more hematological problems during and after birthâ â 32 year old, female, white, independent, Alabama (âwait and seeâ in January)
âMy daughter is a doctor and she got vaccinated which was reassuring that it was okay to get vaccinated.â â 64 year old, female, Asian, Democrat, Texas (âwait and seeâ in January)
âI was nervous about breastfeeding while getting vaccinated, but then found out from doctors it's actually good to get vaccinated while breastfeeding because the babies will get antibodies alsoâ â 28 year old, female, white, independent, Iowa (âwait and seeâ in January)
Half (52%) of those who were initially vaccine hesitant or resistant (saying in January they planned on waiting to get vaccinated, would only get it if required, or would definitely not get vaccinated) and have now received a COVID-19 vaccine say they heard or read something that persuaded them and more than one-third (36%) say they spoke with someone who persuaded them to get vaccinated.
Most commonly, people reported talking to and being persuaded by a family member (17% of all previously vaccine hesitant or resistant individuals) or their own doctor or health care provider (10%), followed by a close friend (5%) or a co-worker or classmate (2%).
Many of those who said they were persuaded after talking to their own doctor mentioned their doctor encouraging them due to their own or a family memberâs medical condition.
In their own words: What did they say that persuaded you to get vaccinated?
âDiscussed my spouseâs immune system.â â 58 year old, male, white, Republican, Washington (âonly if requiredâ in January)
âI could not get treated for the lymphoma on my lower left leg unless I was vaccinatedâ â 78 year old, female, white, Republican, Missouri (âwait and seeâ in January)
âCOVID causes lung damage not good with COPDâ â 57 year old, male, white, independent, Pennsylvania (âwait and seeâ in January)
âI was told by my doctor that she strongly recommend I get the vaccine because I have diabetes.â â 47 year old, female, white, Republican, Florida (âwait and seeâ in January)
A small but meaningful share said the easing of restrictions for vaccinated people made them decide to get a vaccine.
In their own words: What did you learn or hear that persuaded you to get vaccinated?
 âHearing that the travel quarantine restrictions would be lifted for those people that are vaccinated was a major reason for my change of thought. Also the possibility that business and other resources may be limited to non-vaccinated individuals was also a major factor.â â 43 year old, male, black, Democrat, Virginia (âwait and seeâ in January)
âTo see events or visit some restaurants, it was easier to be vaccinated.â â 39 year old, male, white, independent, New Jersey (âonly if requiredâ in January)
âBahamas trip required a COVID shotâ â 43 year old, male, Hispanic, independent, Pennsylvania (âwait and seeâ in January)
Two-thirds (65%) of vaccinated adults, including many of those who were previously vaccine hesitant, say they have tried to persuade close friends or family members to get vaccinated.
What Made Some People Decide to Not Get vaccinated?
One-third of adults remain unvaccinated, including a quarter of adults who previously had said they planned on getting vaccinated âas soon as possibleâ or wanted to âwait and seeâ before getting a vaccine and remain unvaccinated six months later. Some of these individuals (3%) either have an appointment to get a vaccine or still plan on getting it as soon as they are able, but one in ten (6% of total) now say they either will only get vaccinated if required or say they will âdefinitely notâ get a vaccine.
When asked what changed their mind, many of these individuals offer concerns about the side effects of the vaccine as the reason why they now do not plan on getting vaccinated.
In their own words: What changed your mind?
âWhat's changed my mind is people telling me how sick they got after they received the vaccination I really don't want to be sick from a vaccination so I kind of lost interestâ â 54 year old, male, white, Republican, California (âASAPâ in January)
âThereâs still not enough data proving that the vaccine is effectively and definitely not enough data showing the side effects.â â 54 year old, female, black, Democrat, Arkansas (âwait and seeâ in January)
âI have allergies considering the possible risks. The risks in my opinion are not a chance I'm willing to take.â â 18 year old, male, Hispanic, Democrat, Florida (âASAPâ in January)
âMy husband got the vaccine and he experienced a lot of side effects I usually end of having some all the listed side effectsâ â 42 year old, female, Hispanic, independent, California (âwait and seeâ in January)
âWe are now starting to see adverse reactions, deaths and other problems with young people also. We do not know the long term effects on the body, reproduction etc. it could take years to see that information come outâ â 60 year old, male, white, Republican, Delaware (âwait and seeâ in January)
For some, othersâ views of the pandemic influenced their decisions to not get vaccinated, with several people offering responses about the pandemic being exaggerated and no longer feeling that a vaccine was necessary.
In their own words: What changed your mind?
âCOVID was not the pandemic it was made out to be and I am not getting vaccinated for itâ â 26 year old, female, white, Republican, Iowa (âASAPâ in January)
âThis event seems more and more just like the flu. Everyone is exposed and has the same chance of getting it. I never got a flu vaccine either. This whole mask thing is a joke. Most people wear them beneath their nose or even chin. This event is over for me except as mandated to me by those above me who control me in some way such as employer.â â 58 year old, male, black, independent, Alabama (âwait and seeâ in January)
âMy daughter has had covid and I never tested positive or showed symptoms, and she never had symptoms. My thought is I am either immune or I have antibodies. My other thought is that we didn't have it and they made the numbers grow by false positive tests.â â 28 year old, female, white, Republican, Tennessee (âwait and seeâ in January)
The Experiences Of Vaccinated Adults
When adults who have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine were asked how they feel now they have been vaccinated, the most common responses were about feeling safe and relieved. One-fourth (24%) of vaccinated adults say they felt âsafeâ or some variation after being vaccinated, with a similar share (22%) offering responses that they felt relieved. Other positive feelings reported were those of freedom, confidence, and more certainty that if they did get COVID-19, it would be less serious, or they were less likely to die from it.
In their own words: What feeling best describes how you feel now that you have been vaccinated?
âRelief....I am a cancer guy and my immune system is compromised, so getting the vaccine is great news for me.â â 81 year old, male, white, independent, Washington (âASAPâ in January)
âI feel relieved and hopeful.â â 64 year old, female, black, Democrat, Tennessee (âwait and seeâ in January)
âThere is no difference in my body or my mind, I just feel safer and more confident to go out to public places although I still wear a mask, where is it necessary.â â 33 year old, female, Hispanic, independent, Arkansas, (âwait and seeâ in January)
While most respondents reacted with some positive emotion, another one in ten said they felt the same or neutral. Others offered responses about not experiencing any or only mild side effects as a result of the vaccinations, while some were excited about the âreturn to normal.â A much smaller share expressed a negative emotion (about 1% of vaccinated adults).
Those who initially said they would âwait and seeâ in January were less likely than those most enthusiastic about the vaccine (âas soon as possibleâ in January) to say they felt relief (14% vs. 29%), and more likely to express feeling the same or neutral about getting vaccinated (19% vs. 5%).
In their own words: What feeling best describes how you feel now that you have been vaccinated?
 âIn order to protect my family and myself, I chose to get vaccinated.â â 57 year old, female, black, Democrat, Kentucky (âwait and seeâ in January)
âRequired for work.â â 27 year old, female, black, independent, South Carolina (âonly if requiredâ in January)
âMeh!!!â â 69 year old, male, white, independent, Illinois (âwait and seeâ in January)
More than a quarter of vaccinated adults say the main reason they chose to get vaccinated was to protect themselves or reduce their own risk (27%), while another 16% mentioned they were afraid of getting COVID-19 and wanted to avoid getting sick. One in ten respondents cited being at risk of getting sick due to their age or other health condition as their reason for getting vaccinated. Others wanted to protect their family members (7%) or protect others around them and help with herd immunity (6%).
In their own words: What is the main reason you chose to get vaccinated?
âTo stop being afraid of getting it, afraid of the huge medical bills, to go back to normal, to protect others.â â 31 year old, female, white, Democrat, Nevada (âwait and seeâ in January)
âProtect my family from this deadly virus.â â 39 year old, male, black, Democrat, Virginia (âas soon as possibleâ in January)
âBecause I had COVID already so the vaccine will only help me double.â â 20 year old, male, Hispanic, independent, Florida (âdefinitely notâ in January)
Those who previously had said they were going to âwait and seeâ offer similar reasons for getting vaccinated as the vaccine enthusiastic group but were slightly less likely to say they got vaccinated to protect themselves (21% vs. 33%), and slightly larger shares offer reasons related to not having to wear a mask anymore (5% vs. 0%) and because of encouragement or pressure from family members (6% vs. 1%).
In their own words: What is the main reason you chose to get vaccinated?
 âMy holistic Dr. recommended it.â â 61 year old, female, white, Republican, Connecticut (âwait and seeâ in January)
âI wanted to start living my life and start traveling and stop wearing masks.â â 27 year old, female, black, Democrat, Ohio, (âwait and seeâ in January)
âTo shut the wife up.â â 65 year old, male, white, Republican, Michigan (âwait and seeâ in January)
One of the most common responses among the more vaccine resistant group who have received a vaccine were about getting vaccinated in order to travel or being required to due to a job.
In their own words: What is the main reason you chose to get vaccinated?
âI am an educator and we needed to re-open schools.â â 51 year old, female, white, Democrat, Kentucky (âdefinitely notâ in January)
âTo be able to travel.â â 35 year old, male, black, Democrat, Virginia (âonly if requiredâ in January)
âLimited options without it.â â 51 year old, male, white, independent, New York (âonly if requiredâ in January)
Why Some Adults Remain Unvaccinated
When those who remain unvaccinated were asked about their main reason for not getting a COVID-19 vaccine, the most commonly offered reasons are around concerns about side effects (21%), followed by concerns that the vaccine was too new, too unknown, or not tested enough (16%). One in ten (12%) offer they havenât gotten vaccinated because they donât think they need the vaccine. Smaller, but still significant shares, say they havenât gotten vaccinated because they just want to wait and see (7%), they donât trust the vaccine and donât normally get vaccines (7%), have a medical condition which prevents them from receiving a COVID-19 vaccine (7%), or think COVID-19 is not that bad or that the vaccine is worse (7%).
Being concerned about side effects was also the top reason back in January why people said they may not get vaccinated. The latest report finds one-fifth of unvaccinated adults still offer concerns over possible side effects as the main reason why they havenât gotten a COVID-19 vaccine.
In their own words: What is the main reason you have not gotten a COVID-19 vaccine?
âMy husband got the vaccine and all the side effects. I cannot be sick, I am the rock of the familyâ â 42 year old, female, Hispanic, independent, California (âdefinitely notâ)
âIâm scared of the side effectsâ â 20 year old, female, black, independent, Texas (âonly if requiredâ)
âIâm a little nervous knowing the possibility of side effects. I know itâs probably beneficial to my health, I just wanted to wait a little longerâ â 43 year old, male, white, Republican, Arizona (âASAPâ)
âI didnât want to get sickâ â 26 year old, female, black Hispanic, Democrat, Florida (âdefinitely notâ)
Another one of the most commonly offered reason for not getting vaccinated were concerns that the vaccine was too new, too unknown, or not tested enough. This was one of the top reasons offered across vaccine intention groups.
In their own words: What is the main reason you have not gotten a COVID-19 vaccine?
âBecause I do not trust the vaccine safety and Iâve also heard and seen about side effectsâ â 22 year old, female, white, Republican, Arkansas (âdefinitely notâ)
âBecause itâs an experimental drugâ â 59 year old, female, white, Republican, Texas (âdefinitely notâ)
âI am not sure about it yet. I don't feel it was properly tested and there are so many different stories, good and bad, that I don't know what to believe anymoreâ â 44 year old, male, Hispanic, independent, California (âonly if requiredâ)
âI do not believe there has been adequate testing to show that this is a safe vaccine for everyone and every preexisting conditionâ â 51 year old, female, white, independent, North Carolina (âdefinitely notâ)
âI feel as if itâs fairly new and not enough research has been doneâ â 40 year old, female black, Democrat, Pennsylvania (âonly if requiredâ)
Some unvaccinated people say they donât see the benefit of getting vaccinated either because they do not think they are at risk of getting sick from the virus, or that they already had COVID-19.
In their own words: What is the main reason you have not gotten a COVID-19 vaccine?
âAs a young and healthy person, I donât think I need itâ â 34 year old, male, black, independent, Mississippi (âonly if requiredâ)
âBenefit not worth the risksâ â 55 year old, male, white, independent, Minnesota (âdefinitely notâ)
âDidnât feel the need!â â 26 year old, female, white, independent, Alabama (âonly if requiredâ)
âI donât believe contracting COVID is a death sentence. We blew this entire pandemic out of proportion.â â 46 year old, male, white, Republican, Massachusetts (âdefinitely notâ)
âI had the virus, I have antibodies.â â 50 year old, female, white, Republican, Nebraska (âonly if requiredâ)
âI had COVID for 3 weeks recently. I will have antibodies for a while. I also do not believe the vaccine(s) are true vaccines with antibodies. I've checked the CDC lists of ingredients and many are toxic, and they mess with RNA. I believe it's mainly about making money.â â 60 year old, female, white, independent, Montana (âdefinitely notâ)
many unvaccinated Adults Just Want to Wait and See
As millions of adults in the U.S. have received a COVID-19 vaccine and access to vaccines has increased throughout the country, the share of adults who say they either will get vaccinated âas soon as possibleâ or want to âwait and seeâ before getting vaccinated has decreased to about one in eight adults. Few adults (9%) say they are now âmore motivatedâ to get vaccinated than they were six months ago while most (65% of all unvaccinated adults and 60% of those in the âwait and seeâ group from January) say they have the same level of motivation now to get vaccinated as they did six months ago. About a quarter across groups say they are âless motivatedâ to get vaccinated than they were six months ago.
Among those who are still unvaccinated but are not resistant to getting vaccinated (now say they either plan to get it ASAP or are wanting to wait and see), about four in ten say they plan on waiting more than a year before getting a COVID-19 vaccine, while about three in ten (28%) say they plan on getting vaccinated within the next three months and an additional third say they will get vaccinated between 4 months and a year. Many adults in this group (unvaccinated adults who say they either plan to get it ASAP or are wanting to wait and see) offer side effects as the main reason why they have not gotten vaccinated yet.
In their own words: What is the main reason you have not gotten a COVID-19 vaccine?
âA lot of people have negative reactions to the vaccines and some die. I'm not willing to risk my life for a vaccine that you need yearly.â â 64 year old, female, white, independent, Ohio (âwait and seeâ)
âA little bit scared because of the side effect.â â 69 year old, female, Hispanic, Democrat, Florida (âASAPâ)
âBad side effects. Will wait a year and then decide.â â 67 year old, male, white, Republican, New York (âwait and seeâ)
âItâs too soon to tell if it is safe. Not worth the riskâ â 19 year old, female, black, independent, Indiana (âwait and seeâ)
âNot comfortable with unknown long-term possible side effects.â â unknown age, female, black, Delaware (âwait and seeâ)
âThe âproductâ was rushed into production, it is probably flawed and we have not seen these flaws.â â 57 year old, male, white, Republican, Texas (âwait and seeâ)
âUnsure about possible side effects, concerns over massive Johnson and Johnson recall.â â 38 year old, female, white, Democrat, Florida (âwait and seeâ)
When those who say they want to âwait and seeâ before getting vaccinated are asked what, if anything, would motivate them to get vaccinated against COVID-19, few tangible motivations are mentioned. Most of these individuals say they just want more time to see how the vaccine affects others who have already gotten it. A few individuals explicitly mention wanting full FDA approval, a motivation found in previous KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor reports.
In their own words: What, if anything, would motivate you to get fully vaccinated against COVID-19? (among those who are âwait and seeâ)
 âTime and proof that it is working and has no lasting negative effects on the body.â â 60 year old, female, white, Republican, Washington
âOnly time will motivate me.â â 44 year old, female, Asian, Democrat, North Carolina
âYears of study and an idea about possible long term effects of the vaccine. There is only Emergency Use Authorization for the vaccines. Not full approval for use as they have literally not completed the full testing process.â â 54 year old, male, white, Republican, Kentucky
âWaiting to see if people have any adverse effectsâ â 44 year old, female, black, Democrat, West Virginia
âRead more reports from people who have taken the vaccine and investigate if they had side effects.â â 81 year old, male, Hispanic, Democrat, Texas
Methodology
This KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor: In Their Own Words, Six Months Later was designed and analyzed by public opinion researchers at the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF). The survey was conducted June 15-23, 2021 using the SSRS Opinion Panel, a nationally representative panel of U.S. adults age 18 or older recruited using probability-based sampling techniques. For the Kaiser Family Foundation, SSRS re-invited adult panelists in the U.S. who previously participated in a survey in January 14-18, 2021. The original sampling targeted panel respondents by gender, age, race, education, and region. SSRS regularly monitored data collection to check for demographic composition of the sample and data quality. Cases determined to be poor-quality, as defined by surveys with a length of interview of less than 33% of the mean length of interview and with invalid text responses were removed from the final data. In total, 1,009 panelists were invited to participate in this follow-up survey and 878 respondents completed the full questionnaire online on June 15-23, 2021 with additional follow-ups conducted on July 2,2021. 859 surveys were completed in English and 19 surveys were completed in Spanish. Panelists were compensated for their participation, with incentives distributed by the SSRS Opinion Panel through their standard procedures.
The margin of sampling error including the design effect for the full sample is plus or minus 4 percentage points. Numbers of respondents and margins of sampling error for key subgroups are shown in the table below. For results based on other subgroups, the margin of sampling error may be higher. Sample sizes and margins of sampling error for other subgroups are available by request. Note that sampling error is only one of many potential sources of error in this or any other public opinion poll. Kaiser Family Foundation public opinion and survey research is a charter member of the Transparency Initiative of the American Association for Public Opinion Research.
| Group | N (unweighted) | M.O.S.E. |
| Total | 878 | ± 4 percentage points |
| Total who have gotten a COVID-19 vaccine | 632 | ± 5 percentage points |
| Total who have not gotten a COVID-19 vaccine | 246 | ± 8 percentage points |
| January Vaccine Intentions | ||
| As soon as they can | 395 | ± 6 percentage points |
| Wait and see | 242 | ± 8 percentage points |
| Only if required/ Definitely not getting a vaccine | 168 | ± 10 percentage points |
| June Vaccine Intentions | ||
| Only if required/ Definitely not getting a vaccine | 161 | ± 10 percentage points |