Key Themes From Our SurveyThe percentage of people who say they aren’t sure they’d get a COVID-19 vaccine is shrinking. These people are becoming acceptorsorgetting vaccinated.The number of people who personally know a vaccinated person has nearly doubled in four weeks.Many people are still confused about who is eligible to get vaccinated and how to get an appointment if you qualify.

Key Themes From Our Survey

The percentage of people who say they aren’t sure they’d get a COVID-19 vaccine is shrinking. These people are becoming acceptorsorgetting vaccinated.The number of people who personally know a vaccinated person has nearly doubled in four weeks.Many people are still confused about who is eligible to get vaccinated and how to get an appointment if you qualify.

As vaccine supply and governmental support of public health measures increase, public sentiment about the COVID-19 vaccine seems to be improving.

The data presented in this article is from five surveys of 1,000 Americans asked about their thoughts and feelings towards getting the COVID-19 vaccines. We collected the latest data the week ending on February 12. Our survey sample highlighted four types of respondents based on their answer to whether or not they’d get an FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccine if it were freely available:Acceptors:Those who wouldagreeto be vaccinatedRejectors:Those whowould not agreeto take a vaccineUndecideds:Those whodon’t knowif they would take a vaccineVaccinated: Those who have received a COVID-19 vaccination.

The data presented in this article is from five surveys of 1,000 Americans asked about their thoughts and feelings towards getting the COVID-19 vaccines. We collected the latest data the week ending on February 12. Our survey sample highlighted four types of respondents based on their answer to whether or not they’d get an FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccine if it were freely available:

In the most recent survey, only 15% of respondents say they are undecided about getting vaccinated, compared to 19% in our first survey. Thankfully, these undecideds don’t seem to be defecting into the vaccine rejector camp. The rejector numbers are effectively unchanged in the last couple of surveys, with 22% of respondents saying they would still refuse the vaccine.

However, the pro-vaccination group is growing. Sixty-three percent of participants in our latest survey were either vaccinated or would agree to be vaccinated. That’s up from 56% in our first survey, back in mid-December.

More People Know Someone Who’s Been Vaccinated

Vaccine supply has increasedand shots are making their way into more arms. The U.S. has administered more than 75 million vaccine doses, and we’re getting back up to about 2 million shots per day after a drop-down due to severe winter storms.

As the rollout picks up speed, the percent of survey respondents who say they’ve been vaccinated is increasing. And the number of people who say they know someone who got the vaccine has nearly doubled in the last four weeks—from 36% in early January to 62% in our latest survey. This is a major factor in boosting people’s comfort levels with COVID-19 vaccines.

This increase is also reflected in what folks think their friends and family will do moving forward. Almost 80% of respondents now believe at leastsomeof their friends and family will choose to get the vaccine—up from 68% in mid-December. Over a third of our respondents think thatallof their friends and family will choose to be vaccinated.

Trust Is Building In The National COVID-19 Relief Plan

President Biden and the new administration have taken a firm tone in supporting science andpublic health officials. And the nation seems to be following suit. Confidence has increased for elected officials and the national government. Over the last two waves of our survey—spanning the time since Biden took office on January 20—we’ve seen increases in confidence that the government will act in the interest of the public.

Combatting Hesitancy on a National Level

While making good on vaccine distribution promises is important to building pubic trust, the Biden administration is also invested in reaching those who are vaccine-hesitant along the way. And according to theNational Strategy for the COVID-19 Response and Pandemic Preparedness, this means working with and deferring to leaders in communities where vaccine hesitancy is most common.

Healthcare professionals and community organizers in Chicago, IL, and Miami, FL, tell Verywell that town hall meetings and local churches are successfully promoting vaccination in Black communities, where rates of vaccine uptake are particularly low. To target younger people, the government’s Office of Minority Health (OMH) launched a social media campaign—#VaccineReady—during Black History Month.

How Organizations Are Working Toward Equitable COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution

During February, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) granted more than $17 million of funding to community organizations dedicated to COVID-19 vaccine education.CBS News reportedthat funding went to 15 different organizations promoting vaccine education among Black, Hispanic, Asian, and Native American populations, including grassroots organizations like UnidosUS.

As the number of available doses increases, we’ll see more widespread campaigns focused on encouraging everyone to get vaccinated. The big question is if the systems to make an appointment and get your shot will improve during the coming weeks and months while supply is ramping up.

‘It’s Up to You’ COVID-19 Vaccine Campaign Aims to Increase Vaccine Uptake

Rollout Concerns & Eligibility Confusion Abound

Only 28% of our survey population say the vaccine rollout is going “good or better.” This number is going up,which might be because of the increase of participants who know someone who’s been vaccinated. But there are still significant issues with the communication of who is eligible, how to sign up for an appointment, and how to get yourself vaccinated.

Sixty-six percent of our survey population say they’re aware that there have been some vaccine distribution challenges, specifically vaccine scarcity—43% of respondents named “not enough vaccines” as the most prominent vaccine rollout challenge.

In most places, the older population is currently eligible to get the vaccine, but securing an appointment is difficult. With much of the scheduling happening online, those who aren’t tech-savvy struggle to get appointments, even if they’re eligible. They may not have a computer, reliable internet, or feel comfortable navigating multiple sites.

Communities Step Up to Help Seniors Register for COVID-19 Vaccines

In our survey, among those who say they are eligible, only half (50%) say they know how to register for a vaccine.

Resources To Determine Vaccine Eligibility and Make an Appointment

MethodologyThe Verywell Vaccine Sentiment Tracker is a bi-weekly measurement of Americans’ attitudes and behaviors around COVID-19 and the vaccine. The survey is fielded online, every other week beginning December 16, 2020, to 1,000 American adults. The total sample matches U.S. Census estimates for age, gender, race/ethnicity, and region.

Methodology

The Verywell Vaccine Sentiment Tracker is a bi-weekly measurement of Americans’ attitudes and behaviors around COVID-19 and the vaccine. The survey is fielded online, every other week beginning December 16, 2020, to 1,000 American adults. The total sample matches U.S. Census estimates for age, gender, race/ethnicity, and region.

The information in this article is current as of the date listed, which means newer information may be available when you read this. For the most recent updates on COVID-19, visit ourcoronavirus news page.

2 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Trends in Number of COVID-19 Vaccinations in the US.

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