Vaccine hesitancy is shrinking

The share of Americans who say they won’t get vaccinated is already small enough that the U.S. should be able to reach herd immunity even if the most reluctant people don’t change their minds.

By the numbers: According to the KFF Vaccine Monitor, 57% of adults either have already received at least one dose of a vaccine or plan to get vaccinated as soon as they can.

• Another 22% are in a “wait and see” group, which has been shrinking.

Between the lines: Think of the “wait and see” group like persuadable swing voters.

• Many are likely to get vaccinated as they see family members, friends and neighbors vaccinated without adverse effect.
• This group, which has also been shrinking, should be the focus of efforts to build confidence in the vaccines’ safety and efficacy, especially in Black and Latino communities where both information and access are barriers to vaccination.

15% say they don’t want to get vaccinated, and 7% say they’ll only get vaccinated if they’re required to at work. These numbers haven’t really budged since December.

• Even if the vaccine resisters don’t switch, it’s pretty easy to see how the country could vaccinate at least 70% of adults.
• Children are not yet eligible for the vaccine, but we can imagine them getting vaccinated at similar or greater rates than adults.

The bottom line: Many lower-income and working people do want to get vaccinated, but simply can’t access vaccine sites or navigate the online appointment system.

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