Over half of Americans won't get the new COVID-19 vaccine

Results from a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center reveal that approximately 60% of Americans will not get the new COVID-19 vaccine. Comparatively, 24% of respondents reported that they would get the updated 2024-2025 COVID-19 booster, and 15% stated that they had already received an updated dose.

Earlier this year, the CDC recommended that everyone ages 6 months and older get an updated vaccine before the start of respiratory virus season. However, the public does not always follow the CDC's guidance. Understanding vaccine trends and anticipated vaccine trends can provide insight for public health experts and providers as they make vaccine recommendations.

A deeper dive into the survey results reveals a significant difference in vaccine attitudes based on political party affiliations. For example, among Republican and Republican-leaning individuals in the survey, 81% of respondents stated that they would probably not get the updated COVID-19 vaccine. On the other side of the aisle, only 37% of Democratic and Democrat-leaning respondents said they would not get the vaccine.

The percentage of Democratic and Democrat-leaning participants who stated they had already gotten the vaccine was over three times greater than that of Republican and Republican-leaning respondents -- 23 % compared to 7%.

Finally, only 11% of Republican and Republican-leaning participants plan to get the updated booster, while 39% of Democratic and Democrat-leaning participants plan on it.

This data reflects the vast chasm between the two political parties' attitudes toward vaccines. According to Pew, the pattern from this survey echoes results from its previous studies conducted throughout the pandemic, showing that Democrats were more likely to keep up with vaccines than their republican counterparts.

More recently, in August 2024, Gallup published results from a survey on childhood vaccination attitudes that revealed a similar difference between Democrats and Republicans on childhood vaccination. While 63% of Democrats and Democrat-leaning independents recognized the importance of childhood vaccination, only 26% of Republicans or Republican-leaning independents agreed.

Beyond political affiliation, the Pew Research Center also analyzed survey results based on age. Across most of the age brackets, vaccine attitudes were the same or similar. For example, 62% of those 18-29, 66% of those 30-49, and 62% of those 50-64 reported that they would probably not get the updated COVID-19 vaccine. However, that number drops significantly among those 65 and older, with only 45% reporting that they would not get the updated vaccine.

The survey results suggest that uptake is already higher across the eldest age bracket, with 27% saying they have already received the updated vaccine. Comparatively, only 14% of respondents age 50-64 have received the shot. Rates were even lower among the 18-29 and 30-49 age brackets, at 11% and 10%, respectively.

Looking at different racial groups, Pew determined that Asian and Black Americans were the most likely to get vaccinated, with approximately 49% of respondents in both groups stating that they have already received or would probably get the updated vaccine. Only 41% of Hispanic Americans said they have already received or would probably get the updated vaccine, while the rate was even lower, 38%, among white Americans.

In addition to analyzing data on vaccine attitudes, the Pew Research Center also surveyed respondents about why they would not get a vaccine. The most common reasons for not getting vaccinated include thinking the vaccine was unnecessary and concerns about side effects. For reference, 61% of individuals who said they would probably not get the vaccine cited not thinking they needed the vaccine as a major reason for not getting it, while 60% reported concerns about side effects as a major reason.

Although the cost of the COVID-19 vaccine did not seem to be a major concern, 26% of respondents stated that a major reason for not getting vaccinated was that they don't get vaccines in general.

Despite the varying opinions in this survey, the CDC maintains the importance of staying current with COVID-19 vaccination. However, researchers and public health experts might be able to use the data presented by the Pew Research Center to develop or refine targeted public health efforts or messaging that address different demographics or acknowledge the concerns of those who do not plan to get vaccinated.

Veronica Salib has covered news related to the pharmaceutical and life sciences industry since 2022.