Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios
One of the most important messages vaccine-reluctant Americans could hear is that their doctors trust the COVID vaccine, so they should too.
The big picture: Vaccine takeup among doctors and skilled nurses is high — and they’re among the messengers Americans trust most.
By the numbers: Nearly nine in 10 physicians and nurses with graduate degrees report either already being vaccinated or planning to get a vaccine.
- Large majorities of other health care professionals who diagnose and treat patients say they are already vaccinated or plan to be.
Why it matters: Throughout the pandemic, majorities of American adults have said their doctors and nurses were their most trusted sources of information about the coronavirus.
- Eight in 10 have said their doctors are the ones they will turn to when deciding whether to get a COVID-19 vaccine.
The bottom line: Because they are such trusted messengers, doctors and nurses are in a special position to put their voices where their arms have already been:
- They can get the word out that they have been vaccinated and encourage their communities to get vaccinated, too.