Survey: How Faith-Based Outreach Has Helped America's Turn Toward Vaccine Acceptance

WASHINGTON, July 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) and Interfaith Youth Core (IFYC) today released the second wave of their Religion and the Vaccine Survey, the largest surveys on religion and COVID-19 to date.

The new survey reveals that vaccine acceptance is up and hesitancy is down across virtually all religious and demographic subgroups since March. Notably, faith-based approaches encouraging vaccination have played a key role in this shift and continue to offer opportunities to encourage vaccination among those who remain vaccine hesitant or refusers.

"The data is clear: Faith-based approaches have been and will continue to be effective in convincing hesitant Americans to receive a COVID-19 vaccine," said IFYC founder and president Eboo Patel.

Among Americans who are vaccinated and attend religious services at least a few times per year, about one-third (32%) report that faith-based approaches made them more likely to get vaccinated. Vaccinated Hispanic Protestants (54%) and Black Protestants (42%) who regularly attend religious services are most likely to say that faith-based approaches helped convince them.

Among key subgroups with significant numbers who remain hesitant, faith-based approaches also show promise. More than four in ten Hispanic Protestants (44%) and nearly three in ten (28%) white evangelical Protestants who are vaccine hesitant say faith-based approaches would make them more likely to get vaccinated.

"Beyond hesitancy, our survey reveals that logistical barriers to vaccine access—such as concerns about time off work or a lack of transportation or childcare—remain obstacles for many. Religious congregations can be key players in addressing both hesitancy and these barriers to access that disproportionately impact communities of color, many of whom are otherwise receptive to getting vaccinated," said PRRI CEO and founder Robert P. Jones.

Other findings:

• QAnon continues to be a major driver of vaccine hesitancy and refusal. Less than half of QAnon believers are vaccine accepters (47%), and one-third say they will not get vaccinated (32%).
• Among Republicans who most trust far-right news sources, only 45% are accepters and almost half (46%) say they will refuse to get vaccinated — a notable 15-percentage-point increase since March.

The full report and survey methodology are available at prri.org.

About IFYC
IFYC is a national nonprofit that equips the next generation of students and professionals with the knowledge and skills needed for leadership in a religiously diverse world.

About PRRI
PRRI is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to conducting independent research at the intersection of religion, culture, and public policy.

SOURCE PRRI

Related Links

https://www.prri.org