Axios-Ipsos poll: More Americans want the vaccine

Americans are more eager to get a coronavirus vaccine now that the process is underway, according to the latest installment of the Axios-Ipsos Coronavirus Index.

Why it matters: This is an encouraging sign, and an indication that at least some vaccine hesitancy was simple wait-and-see caution — not dug-in opposition.

By the numbers: 60% of Americans say they’re likely to take a vaccine as soon as it’s available to them, up 8 percentage points since mid-December.

• There was a staggering 20-point jump in the number of Hispanic respondents who said they’d get vaccinated right away. Seniors also became much more amenable to a vaccine.

Between the lines: Last year, when vaccines weren’t yet available to anyone, the Axios-Ipsos survey has consistently shown that people were putting a higher premium on ensuring that vaccines were safe than on getting one right away.

• Now that inoculations have begun, and no serious safety issues have arisen, more people are feeling more comfortable about claiming their spot in line.

Real-world experience with this worsening pandemic may also be driving more interest in a vaccine: 44% of Hispanic Americans in our survey said they know someone who has died from COVID-19, as did 34% of Black respondents and 31% of white Americans.

Yes, but: There’s still a stubborn partisan divide, with Democrats significantly more likely than Republicans to say they’ll get vaccinated promptly.

Methodology: This Axios/Ipsos Poll was conducted Jan. 8-11 by Ipsos' KnowledgePanel®. This poll is based on a nationally representative probability sample of 1,038 adults. The margin of error is ±3.4 percentage points.