Coronavirus cases are rising and a new variant has quickly spread across the country. Still, millions of Americans remain unvaccinated and say they have no plans to change that. Our team of analysts looked at the latest data on vaccine hesitancy. We found that concerns over side effects, government mistrust and indifference are the main reasons why people aren’t getting vaccinated.
Key findings:
- 55% of people say concerns over side effects are keeping them from getting vaccinated
- 47% of people say they don’t trust the vaccine, up from 45% in October
- 25% of unvaccinated people don’t believe COVID-19 is a threat, up from 21% in October
- 0.5% of people said they experienced side effects after their first dose
In Maine, 80% of unvaccinated people are worried about side effects. Nearly 57% of unvaccinated Washington residents say they won’t be getting vaccinated because they don’t trust the government. And in 28 states, 0.0% of people who got vaccinated reported any side effects. The percentages vary in each state but our team of analysts found there are five main reasons why people aren’t getting vaccinated:
- They’re worried about side effects
- They don’t believe they need it
- They’re waiting to see if it’s safe
- They don’t trust the COVID-19 vaccine
- They don’t trust the government
Respondents were allowed to choose multiple reasons, so the percentages in the table below won’t add up to 100%.
| State | % Concerned about possible side effects | % Plan to wait and see if it is safe | % Don’t trust COVID-19 vaccines | % Don’t trust the government | % Don’t think COVID-19 is a big threat | % Experienced side effects from first dose |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 60% | 23% | 51% | 36% | 16% | 0.4% |
| Alaska | 73% | 12% | 77% | 56% | 39% | 0.6% |
| Arizona | 59% | 35% | 44% | 34% | 22% | 1.3% |
| Arkansas | 64% | 30% | 53% | 44% | 25% | 1.7% |
| California | 46% | 22% | 46% | 37% | 25% | 0.6% |
| Colorado | 72% | 39% | 49% | 46% | 39% | 0.8% |
| Connecticut | 72% | 40% | 58% | 44% | 39% | 6.3% |
| Delaware | 49% | 35% | 49% | 40% | 26% | 0.0% |
| Florida | 53% | 40% | 33% | 35% | 23% | 0.0% |
| Georgia | 50% | 35% | 54% | 43% | 21% | 0.2% |
| Hawaii | 70% | 37% | 40% | 37% | 32% | 0.0% |
| Idaho | 60% | 32% | 42% | 50% | 38% | 0.0% |
| Illinois | 58% | 40% | 53% | 44% | 31% | 0.0% |
| Indiana | 50% | 27% | 52% | 37% | 33% | 0.4% |
| Iowa | 62% | 28% | 43% | 33% | 19% | 0.3% |
| Kansas | 61% | 34% | 50% | 40% | 23% | 0.0% |
| Kentucky | 65% | 32% | 48% | 40% | 28% | 0.6% |
| Louisiana | 60% | 22% | 57% | 50% | 23% | 0.0% |
| Maine | 80% | 45% | 43% | 55% | 50% | 0.0% |
| Maryland | 45% | 36% | 32% | 42% | 28% | 0.0% |
| Massachusetts | 59% | 45% | 44% | 35% | 35% | 10.5% |
| Michigan | 55% | 24% | 46% | 38% | 20% | 0.5% |
| Minnesota | 64% | 36% | 53% | 45% | 33% | 0.0% |
| Mississippi | 66% | 13% | 47% | 34% | 15% | 0.0% |
| Missouri | 60% | 31% | 50% | 39% | 33% | 0.7% |
| Montana | 62% | 38% | 56% | 49% | 33% | 0.0% |
| Nebraska | 49% | 29% | 39% | 47% | 16% | 0.0% |
| Nevada | 65% | 41% | 44% | 39% | 23% | 0.0% |
| New Hampshire | 51% | 24% | 44% | 39% | 43% | 0.0% |
| New Jersey | 42% | 23% | 46% | 46% | 28% | 0.4% |
| New Mexico | 34% | 27% | 35% | 37% | 12% | 4.4% |
| New York | 68% | 39% | 47% | 46% | 22% | 0.0% |
| North Carolina | 54% | 38% | 47% | 36% | 27% | 1.3% |
| North Dakota | 54% | 43% | 54% | 49% | 45% | 0.0% |
| Ohio | 50% | 16% | 46% | 41% | 26% | 0.0% |
| Oklahoma | 55% | 22% | 42% | 41% | 27% | 0.5% |
| Oregon | 53% | 25% | 48% | 46% | 35% | 0.6% |
| Pennsylvania | 52% | 27% | 44% | 39% | 16% | 0.4% |
| Rhode Island | 74% | 51% | 40% | 57% | 37% | 0.0% |
| South Carolina | 49% | 27% | 40% | 36% | 11% | 0.2% |
| South Dakota | 53% | 40% | 42% | 37% | 39% | 0.0% |
| Tennessee | 42% | 22% | 43% | 41% | 15% | 0.0% |
| Texas | 58% | 31% | 52% | 32% | 23% | 0.0% |
| Utah | 58% | 32% | 56% | 36% | 39% | 0.0% |
| Vermont | 54% | 36% | 26% | 28% | 11% | 0.0% |
| Virginia | 46% | 34% | 42% | 30% | 16% | 0.0% |
| Washington | 57% | 31% | 49% | 57% | 33% | 0.9% |
| West Virginia | 44% | 37% | 57% | 51% | 25% | 0.0% |
| Wisconsin | 49% | 32% | 42% | 32% | 31% | 0.0% |
| Wyoming | 59% | 32% | 51% | 50% | 37% | 0.0% |
| United States | 55% | 31% | 47% | 39% | 25% | 0.5% |
The coronavirus vaccine is available free of charge but we found that people without insurance are nearly twice as likely to not get the vaccine. Nearly 20% of people without healthcare coverage are vaccine hesitant. This is extremely concerning given the high cost of healthcare.
Vaccine hesitancy by demographics
Our analysts also found that the reasons for vaccine hesitancy vary across demographics. Men are more hesitant to get the vaccine than women. And white communities have higher rates of vaccine hesitancy than most communities of color.
| Age | Vaccine hesitancy |
|---|---|
| 18-24 | 16% |
| 25-39 | 15% |
| 40-54 | 13% |
| 55-64 | 8% |
| 65+ | 5% |
| Race | Vaccine hesitancy |
|---|---|
| Black | 9% |
| White | 12% |
| Asian | 4% |
| Hispanic | 10% |
| Gender | Vaccine hesitancy |
|---|---|
| Female | 12% |
| Male | 10% |
| Education level | Vaccine hesitancy |
|---|---|
| No high school diploma | 12% |
| High School diploma or GED | 15% |
| Some College/Associates degree | 12% |
| Bachelors Degree or higher | 6% |
Our analysts also found that the reasons for vaccine hesitancy vary across demographics. Women are more hesitant to get the vaccine than men. Older populations are more likely to get vaccinated. And white communities have higher rates of vaccine hesitancy than most communities of color.
The point of this study isn’t to discuss the veracity behind someone’s reasons for not getting the vaccine but to highlight the main reasons why people across the country are hesitant to get vaccinated. It is our hope that through open and honest conversation in the media and among government and elected officials, our society will be able to provide accurate information and reduce the rising number of coronavirus cases.
Methodology:
To find the main reasons why people aren’t getting vaccinated, we looked into Household Pulse Survey vaccine hesitancy data for all 50 states. The response percentage for each reason was relative to the total number of respondents for each state, so the percentages don’t add up to 100%. Additionally, we compiled vaccine hesitancy data on demographics. The rate of unvaccinated was taken from the United States Census Bureau Survey on Explore COVID Vaccine Attitudes.
References:
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