Distrust in vaccines continues to grow among U.S. adults, survey shows

09/03/2024 / By Ava Grace

Under the pretext of the nation experiencing a summer surge of the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) infections and increased hospitalizations due to the disease, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the updated vaccines to “protect” Americans six months and older against the virus.

However, the Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC) health survey data finds that the number of Americans believing COVID-19 vaccination misinformation has risen and their willingness to take or recommend vaccination against coronavirus is lower than in the past. The 2024 Annenberg Science and Public Health (ASAPH) knowledge survey, a nationally representative panel survey of nearly 1,500 U.S. adults, suggests that many may be reluctant to get the updated vaccine. (Related: Pfizer issues apology after British regulator pushes back against their COVID-19 vaccine fraud.)

The survey results detail the most recent wave of responses, which was collected in July from a nationally representative sample of 1,496 adults, most of whom have been routinely surveyed in the project since April 2021. Roughly 100 of the adults were added after 2021 due to attrition of the survey’s initial participants.

In addition to showing an overall decline in willingness to vaccinate, the results showed what the APPC press release called a “greater acceptance of COVID-19 vaccine misinformation.”

“With the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] CDC reporting that COVID-19 infection remains an ongoing threat and an updated vaccine available, now is the time to ramp up awareness both of the value of vaccinating against COVID-19 and of the risks of contracting the disease,” Kathleen Hall Jamieson, who directs the APPC and leads its survey efforts, claimed in a statement.

Many U.S. adults believe it is safer to get COVID-19 infection than get a vaccine

The percentage of U.S. adults who think the COVID-19 vaccine changes people’s DNA rose from eight percent in April 2021 to 15 percent in July 2024. Jamieson said: “Belief in these three misconceptions is associated with increased reluctance to vaccinate.”

Survey results of the APPC revealed that relatively few are worried as only one in five people (20 percent as of July) are somewhat or very worried they or someone in their family will contract COVID-19. The figures are down from 25 percent in February and 35 percent in October last year.

Under half of those surveyed, or 44 percent, said in February that they are “somewhat likely” or “very likely” to get a yearly COVID-19 vaccine if it is recommended by the CDC. The numbers were down from 52 percent in June 2023.

The poll also revealed that U.S. adults are skeptical about other vaccines, not just the COVID-19 injections. Nearly a third (32 percent) of U.S. adults said they were unsure of the effectiveness of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. Additionally, 23 percent were uncertain about the pneumonia vaccine, 19 percent doubted the shingles vaccine and 47 percent were unsure about the RSV vaccine during pregnancy or at age 60 and older (37 percent).

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