More than 1 billion adults around the world said in 2020 that they wouldn't agree to be vaccinated against the coronavirus, per new Gallup polling released Monday.
Why it matters: Only slightly more than two-thirds — 68% — of adults worldwide said they would agree to be vaccinated if a shot was available to them at no cost.
- That's less than the estimated 70–90% of the global population that would need to be required to reach herd immunity.
Yes, but: As vaccines continue to roll out across the world, attitudes toward them may change.
- That's exactly what happened in the U.S. In 2020, only slightly more than half of adults said they'd agree to be vaccinated. In March, as the vaccination effort was well underway, that had increased to 74% of adults.