New poll suggests 70 Percent US Covid Vaccination Rate May Be in Reach

A new poll suggests the United States could be on track to vaccinate at least 70 percent of the adult population against Covid-19 by this summer.

In the latest survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation, 62 percent of respondents said they had received at least one dose of a vaccine, up from 56 percent in April. At the same time, about a third of those categorized as “wait and see” reported that they had already made vaccine appointments or planned to do so imminently.

Dr. William Schaffner, medical director of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases and a vaccine expert, found the results encouraging.

“I think there are many people who were on the fence who were worried about things moving too rapidly and about possible side effects, but those concerns are being allayed as they see more of their friends and acquaintances celebrating getting vaccinated,” said Dr. Schaffner, who was not involved in the monthly survey, the Covid-19 Vaccine Monitor.

They’re getting that growing sense of comfort and reassurance that ‘people like me’ are getting vaccinated,” which, he said, was essential to instilling confidence in the vaccines.

The two demographic groups reporting the greatest increase in vaccination rates from April to May were Latino adults (from 47 percent to 57 percent) and adults without college degrees (from 48 percent to 55 percent). ...

But despite the positive news, vaccination rates among adults who have previously reported significant hesitancy (7 percent) or outright refusal (13 percent) have remained static for several months. And a third of the “wait-and-see” group said they would wait at least a year before getting the shots. ...