by Theresa Walsh Giarrusso
A recent New York Times article about getting America back to work indicates that vaccinating workers and reopening schools for in-person learning are two of the most important factors in moving the nation forward and workers back into the office.
President Joe Biden announced on March 2 that the U.S. is on track to have enough vaccine doses for every adult in America by May, but will workers take them?
The latest Pew Research Center report, released March 5, finds that a growing share of Americans say they plan to get the vaccine or already have. The study also found that 77% of Americans surveyed think vaccinations will benefit the U.S. economy. The new national survey by Pew Research Center was conducted Feb. 16 to 21 among 10,121 U.S. adults.
“Overall, 19% of adults say they have already received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine. Another 50% say they definitely or probably plan to get vaccinated. Taken together, 69% of the public intends to get a vaccine – or already has – up significantly from 60% who said they planned to get vaccinated in November.
- “A majority of Black Americans (61%) now say they plan to get a COVID-19 vaccine or have already received one, up sharply from 42% who said they planned to get vaccinated in November. Differences in intent to be vaccinated among Black, White, Hispanic or Asian adults are generally smaller now than they were three months ago.
- People with lower income levels continue to be less inclined than those with higher incomes to get a vaccine, a dynamic that is borne out in the shares who say they have already received a COVID-19 vaccine: 14% of lower-income adults say they have gotten at least one dose of a vaccine, compared with 20% of middle-income adults and 27% of upper-income adults.
- A smaller majority of women (66%) than men (72%) intend to get a vaccine or have already received at least one dose. Among those not planning to get vaccinated, women are more likely than men to cite concerns about the rapid pace of vaccine development and a lack of information about how well they work as major reasons why they don’t plan to get a vaccine.”
The report continues: “…And, as 81% continue to view the coronavirus outbreak as a major threat to the economy, most Americans see a connection between efforts to vaccinate the public and the strength of the U.S. economy.
“About three-quarters say it would help the economy either a lot (51%) or a little (25%) if a large majority of Americans get a vaccine for COVID-19. Democrats and those who lean to the Democratic Party are more likely than Republicans and Republican leaners to say widespread vaccine uptake would help the economy a lot (66% vs. 37%); still, a majority of Republicans say this would help the economy at least a little (66%).”
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