Survey: 48% Know Someone Aged 65+ Who Has Had Difficulty Getting COVID-19 Vaccine

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Feb. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The COVID-19 Pandemic is leaving a majority of Americans frustrated, fatigued and fearful of losing their health insurance, this according to a new healthinsurance.com national survey of 1,000 U.S. adults. The survey asked Americans about getting vaccinated, mask wearing, pandemic fatigue, health insurance, employment and future travel plans.

Key Findings:

• 48% of respondents know someone 65+ that has had difficulty signing up to receive the vaccine
• 68% will be getting the vaccine as soon as they are eligible to do so
• 86% think people who are vaccinated should continue to wear masks and social distance
• 54% are experiencing pandemic fatigue
• 33% will or know someone that will be taking advantage of the new ACA special enrollment period
• 64% say they would get tested for COVID-19 more frequently if they could do it at home

GETTING VACCINATED
Our nation's most vulnerable population are eligible to be vaccinated, but not all have found it easy. 48% of respondents say they know someone over the age of 65 that has had difficulty signing up to receive the vaccine. Two-thirds (68%) are waiting their turn, saying they will be getting the vaccine as soon as they are eligible to do so. A majority don't think the vaccine means the end of the pandemic. A whopping 86% say people who are vaccinated should continue to wear masks and social distance. 64% say they would get tested for COVID-19 more frequently if they could do it at home.

HEALTH INSURANCE IS A PRIORITY DURING COVID-19
Having health insurance during COVID-19 is a priority for most, but sadly, many have found themselves uninsured during the pandemic. More than 1 in 4 (27%) say they have or know someone who has lost their health insurance during the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet nearly half (46%)  don't know what health insurance options are available to them should they find themselves uninsured. The government has opened a special ACA enrollment period from now through May 15. One-third (33%) of those surveyed said they will or know someone that will be taking advantage of the new ACA special enrollment period. Health insurance is so important to those currently employed, that 51% would think twice about switching jobs right now because of health insurance.

PANDEMIC FATIGUE & EMPLOYMENT
The pandemic has 54% of those surveyed experiencing "pandemic fatigue". (51%) admitting they have had to take at least one "mental health day" during the pandemic. Three in ten (30%) of those currently employed say they are actively looking for a new job. However, respondents were split on how they feel about working from home. 50% of those working from home are finding it hard to manage a work life balance. On the flip side, 79% say that working from home has been better for their overall mental health. In fact, 52% like working from home so much, they would take a pay cut to permanently continue doing so. One thing is sure, everyone still needs a vacation. 59% are still taking vacation days even though they are working from home. 36% need a break so bad, they are planning a big vacation regardless of when it's safe to travel. And 76% of those planning a vacation have already chosen where they want to go!

Other Findings:

• 13% say that once you are personally vaccinated you can stop wearing a mask
• 28% say we will need to continue wearing masks for less than a year
• 41% say we will need to continue wearing masks for one more year
• 19% say we will need to continue wearing masks for more than 2 years
• 75% wear 1 mask at a time
• 18% wear 2 masks at a time
• 49% have never been tested for COVID-19
• 25% have been tested just once for COVID-19
• 26% have been tested more than twice for COVID-19
• 39% are working from home
• 19% are doing a combo of working from home and going into the office
• 42% are currently working from their regular work location
• 41% are not taking vacation days because they are working from home
• 53% of those experiencing pandemic fatigue say they are so frustrated with it that they are ready to return to their regular activities despite the risks
• 40% of those not experiencing pandemic fatigue say it's because they are introverts and preferred social distancing before it became a health concern
• 55% of those not experiencing pandemic fatigue say it's because they are keeping themselves safe

For the entire healthinsurance.com survey results and methodology click here

METHODOLOGY:
The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted online by Scott Rasmussen from February 11-15, 2021. Field work for the survey was conducted by RMG Research, Inc. Certain quotas were applied to the overall sample and lightly weighted by geography, gender, age, race, education, and political party to reasonably reflect the nation's population. Other variables were reviewed to ensure that the final sample is representative of that population. Margin of Sampling Error: +/- 3.1 percentage points (for full sample)

ABOUT HEALTHINSURANCE.COM:
Healthinsurance.com combines the nation's leading health insurance carriers and advanced technology to offer a suite of private insurance solutions and Medicare plan options. In just a few clicks, our website provides consumers the ability to access powerful online comparison tools and educational resources that enable efficient self-guided navigation of available health insurance and Medicare options. For more information, visit healthinsurance.com.

SOURCE healthinsurance.com

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