New National Polling Shows One-Third of Unvaccinated Adults Could Be Convinced to Get the COVID-19 Vaccine: They Are Younger, More Suburban, and Didn't Vote in 2020

NEW YORK, Aug. 25, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- New national polling from August digs into how likely unvaccinated adults are to get the COVID-19 vaccine and why they're continuing to hold out. The data, released by non-profit Up to Us and their polling partner INTVRL, shows that 16% of adults are resistant and unlikely to be convinced, 3% plan to get their first shot soon, and 9% are hesitant but can be persuaded if their concerns are addressed. 

The hesitant are more likely to be younger (18-34), live in the suburbs in the South, Great Plains, and Mountain West, and are less likely to have voted in 2020. This group is concerned about adverse health effects, such as allergies and mild side effects, from the vaccines and are less conspiratorial than their resistant counterparts. 

Currently, three in 10 counties have hit the 70% vaccination rate target set by the Biden administration. If two-thirds of hesitant adults get vaccinated nationally, seven in 10 counties will have reached that goal -  Up to Us believes this is achievable. 

Up To Us and INTRVL are making their poll results public via a Vaccine Hesitancy Dashboard (https://www.uptous.org/) that shows, county-by-county, who is hesitant and resistant and why they're concerned about getting vaccinated. For example, in the South, cost is a more prevalent concern for vaccine-hesitant adults, at almost double the national average, while in the Northeast and West, microchips are a less prevalent concern. You can see further insights at https://hesitancy.intrvl.us/methodology.

"With the Delta wave overwhelming the country, we're trying to offer the most comprehensive local look at who the unvaccinated are and what might get them to change their minds," says Up To Us Founder, Conor O'Shea, "I hope that this data is helpful to anyone who's working to increase vaccination rates -- whether that's local community leaders or public health officials."

"Our analysis shows that unvaccinated adults are not a monolithic group," says Steven McAlpine, the CEO of INTRVL. "Attitudes toward the COVID-19 vaccines vary demographically and geographically, sometimes in ways counter to national trends. Vaccine hesitancy is distinct from resistance, and understanding these groups' different profiles and concerns is an important step toward protecting our communities through further vaccinations and additional shots."

Up To Us and INTRVL use this polling data to inform the development of strategies and programs to raise vaccination rates in communities across the country. If you're interested in partnering with us on this work, reach out to [email protected].

Up To Us (https://www.uptous.org/home) is a Gen-Z-led non-profit working to mobilize young adults to act on some of the biggest issues facing its generation. Ahead of the 2020 election, its voter registration drive reached tens of millions of people across the country and got thousands of young adults to vote for the first time by working with young creators like The Cheeky Boyos and celebrities like Leonardo DiCaprio. They're now focused on increasing vaccination rates among the hesitant. 

INTRVL (https://intrvl.us/) is a new media and public opinion measurement firm, which uses data science to better quantify persuasive ad campaigns. Through a deeper understanding of audiences, INTRVL optimizes messaging and targeting to better enable success.

Related Files

Differentiating_Vaccine_Resistance_and_Hesitancy.pdf

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COVID-19 Vaccination and Hesitancy

SOURCE Up To Us