A new poll has revealed how many people are planning on getting — or not getting — the latest COVID-19 vaccine.
Results from the survey conducted by KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation) COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor showed that 23% of US adults will “definitely get” the updated vaccine and 23% will “probably get” it.
Meanwhile, 33% of US adults said they would “definitely not get” the booster and 19% would “probably not get” the vaccine approved by the CDC on Sept. 12.
The updated shots from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna are recommended for everyone 6 months and older — but the survey shows that a majority of parents are not planning on getting their children vaccinated.
Those who said they would get the updated booster shot were largely comprised of adults aged 65 and older (64%), Democrats (70%), college graduates (57%) and adults with a chronic condition (56%). Compared to 42% of white adults, at least half of Hispanic adults (54%) and Black adults (51%) said they would get the vaccine.
The portion of the public who plan on getting the new booster is higher than the portion who have gotten previous boosters — but not as high as the 2020 vaccine intake. Almost four in 10 (37%) of adults who have previously gotten a COVID-19 vaccine said they probably or definitely won’t get the new jab.
Consistent with stats throughout the pandemic, a much smaller share of Republicans (24%) than Democrats (70%) anticipate receiving the latest vaccine.
However, there are smaller partisan divisions for the annual flu shot and the newly recommended RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) vaccine, with 76% of Democrats and 51% of Republicans planning on getting the flu shot and among those ages 60 and older, 79% of Democrats and 41% of Republicans intending to get or having already gotten an RSV vaccine.
The survey also showed that Republicans are less likely than Democrats to be assured that each of the three vaccines are safe — with the COVID-19 vaccine showing the biggest divide, with 84% of Democrats and 36% of Republicans confident the shot is safe.
“The poll shows that most of the nation still trusts the CDC and the FDA on vaccines – but there is a partisan gap, and most Republicans don’t trust the nation’s regulatory and scientific agencies responsible for vaccine approval and guidance,” KFF President and CEO Drew Altman said in a press release.
KFF, the “independent source for health policy research, polling and news” based in San Francisco, surveyed a nationally representative sample of 1,296 adults online and by telephone from Sept. 6-13, 2023.