Poll: 65% of voters feel COVID vaccine available this year would be "rushed"
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Voters are growing skeptical of a potential coronavirus vaccine, with the majority saying they would feel it was rushed without enough testing if one becomes available this year, according to a CBS News poll out Sunday.
By the numbers: About 21% of U.S. voters said they would get a vaccine as soon as possible if one became available at no cost, down from 32% in the same poll in July. 58% say they would consider it, but they'd wait to see what happens to others before getting one.
- 65% responded that if a vaccine were made available this year, their first thought would be that it was rushed through without enough testing — while 35% responded that it would be a medical achievement.
There was a partisan split in the responses, with 77% of Democrats saying they would think a vaccine available this year was rushed through, compared with 48% of Republicans.
- 25% of Democrats said they would get a vaccine as soon as it was available, compared to 42% in July.
- White Democrats are more than twice as likely as Black Democrats to say they would get a vaccine as soon as it was available.
Why it matters: The question of whether politics influences the Trump administration's actions looms larger than ever, writes Axios' Caitlin Owens. Just as important is the question of whether we'll be ready for this complicated effort in less than two months.
The backdrop: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urged governors last week to do everything possible to get vaccine distribution sites operational by Nov. 1, McClatchy reports.
Methodology: The survey was conducted for CBS News by YouGov between Sept. 2–4. It is based on a representative sample of 2,493 registered voters and has a margin of error of ±2.4 points.
Go deeper: Kamala Harris says she "would not trust" Trump on coronavirus vaccine
