Key Findings
- Whereas many of the public proceed to believe in the advantages of childhood vaccines for measles, mumps, and rubella, the expertise of the COVID-19 pandemic and debates over vaccine necessities and mandates seem to have had an influence on public attitudes in direction of MMR vaccine necessities for public colleges. The most recent KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor survey finds that about seven in ten adults (71%) say wholesome kids ought to be required to get vaccinated for MMR as a way to attend public colleges, down from 82% who mentioned the identical in an October 2019 Pew Analysis Middle ballot. Virtually three in ten (28%) now say that folks ought to have the ability to resolve to not vaccinate their school-age kids, even when this creates well being dangers for others, up from 16% in 2019. Amongst Republicans and Republican-leaning independents, there was a 24 percentage-point enhance within the share who maintain this view (from 20% to 44%).
- With COVID-19 circumstances rising throughout the nation, nearly a 3rd of adults say they’re anxious they may get critically sick from COVID-19, although practically half of the general public say they’re anxious about a rise in COVID-19 circumstances and hospitalizations within the U.S. this winter. As earlier KFF surveys have repeatedly discovered, Black and Hispanic adults proceed to be extra involved concerning the pandemic in comparison with White adults, with about two-thirds of Black adults (68%) and Hispanic adults (69%) saying they’re anxious about a rise in circumstances and hospitalizations this winter, in comparison with about 4 in ten White adults who say the identical. Older adults are extra possible than these below age 65 to say they’re anxious they may get critically sick from COVID-19 (43% vs. 34%) and that circumstances and hospitalizations will rise this winter (60% vs. 46%).
- Because the nation faces a “tripledemic”, with a surge in flu and RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) circumstances accompanying the rise in COVID-19 circumstances, many dad and mom at the moment are involved about not one, however all three of those viruses. About half of oldsters are anxious their youngster will get critically sick from COVID-19 or the flu. A slight majority of oldsters (56%) say they’re anxious their youngster will get critically sick from RSV – rising to greater than seven in ten dad and mom with a toddler below the age of 5 (73%), an age group that’s significantly weak to RSV.
- Although many now not see COVID-19 as a uniquely pressing risk, public well being officers proceed to encourage vaccination and emphasize the significance of the up to date bivalent booster to assist forestall severe sickness and demise from COVID-19, significantly in mild of vacation gathering and journey. Nonetheless, public uptake of the up to date booster is comparatively tepid, with nearly one in 5 adults saying they’ve already gotten it. Democrats (38%) and adults ages 65 and older (39%) have been extra keen, with about 4 in ten saying have already gotten the up to date COVID-19 booster which has been out there since September. Fewer younger adults below the age of 30 (11%) and Republicans (12%) report having gotten an up to date booster dose.
- Although public well being officers have burdened the significance of the up to date COVID-19 booster for older adults who’re extra weak to problems from a COVID an infection, greater than half of adults ages 65 and older haven’t but gotten the up to date booster. A few third (36%) of vaccinated adults ages 65 and older who haven’t but gotten the bivalent booster say they don’t assume they want it (36%) and an identical share say they don’t assume the advantage of the up to date booster is value it.
- Vaccinated Republicans and Republican-leaning independents are significantly skeptical of the worth of the up to date booster with about two-thirds of those that haven’t but gotten it saying they don’t assume they want it (64%) and that the profit is just not value it (61%) whereas Democrats are most probably to say they’ve been too busy or haven’t had the time to get the replace booster (51%).
The Impression Of COVID-19 On Attitudes In direction of Different Childhood Vaccines
Regardless of the politicization of the COVID-19 vaccine and lowering ranges of belief within the FDA and CDC, most adults (85%) say the advantages of childhood vaccines for measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) outweigh the dangers, with little change from the share who mentioned the identical in a Pew Analysis Middle ballot in 2019 (88%). Although there have been no vital variations throughout partisans in 2019, our survey finds that Republicans and Republican-leaning independents at the moment are much less possible than their Democratic counterparts imagine the advantages of MMR vaccines outweigh the dangers (83% vs. 91%).
Whereas most dad and mom of kids below age 18 (80%) say they assume the advantages of childhood MMR vaccines outweigh the dangers, about one in six dad and mom (17%) assume the dangers of those vaccines outweigh the advantages. Amongst adults who haven’t gotten vaccinated for COVID-19, about one in 4 (26%) say the dangers of childhood vaccines for measles, mumps, and rubella outweigh the advantages. Nonetheless, it stays notable that even amongst adults who haven’t gotten the COVID-19 vaccine, most (70%) say the advantages of childhood MMR vaccines outweigh the dangers.
Whereas confidence in the advantages of childhood MMR vaccines stays excessive, the controversy over COVID-19 vaccine mandates might have had some spillover results on attitudes in direction of requiring MMR vaccines for youngsters attending public faculty. At the moment, all states and the District of Columbia require kids to be vaccinated in opposition to sure illnesses, together with measles and rubella, as a way to attend public colleges, although exemptions are allowed in sure circumstances. But, there was a notable lower since 2019 within the share of adults who say “wholesome kids ought to be required to be vaccinated (for MMR) as a way to attend public colleges due to the potential threat for others when kids are usually not vaccinated,” with 71% saying they need to be required to take action, an 11 share level lower from a October 2019 Pew Analysis Middle ballot. Virtually three in ten (28%) now say dad and mom “ought to have the ability to resolve to not vaccinate their kids, even when that will create well being dangers for different kids and adults,” a rise from 16% in 2019.
This lower in assist for MMR vaccine necessities for youngsters in public colleges is pushed by Republicans and Republican-leaning independents – only a slight majority of Republicans (56%) say wholesome kids ought to be required to be vaccinated to attend public colleges, a 23 percentage-point decline from 2019 when about eight in ten expressed assist for such a requirement. Greater than 4 in ten Republicans and Republican-leaning independents (44%) now say that folks ought to have the ability to resolve not to vaccinate their kids, up from 20% in 2019. This compares to 11% of Democratic-leaning dad and mom who say the identical, a share that has held regular since 2019.
Amongst dad and mom of kids below age 18, about two-thirds (65%) assume wholesome kids ought to be required to be vaccinated to attend public colleges, down from 76% who mentioned the identical in 2019. One-third (35%) of oldsters now imagine dad and mom ought to have the ability to resolve to not vaccinate their kids, up from 23% in 2019.
Whereas we can not know the pre-pandemic attitudes that adults who’re presently not vaccinated for COVID-19 held about childhood MMR vaccines, most (63%) of those adults unvaccinated for COVID-19 say that folks ought to have the ability to resolve to not vaccinate their kids, even when that creates well being dangers for youngsters and adults. Nearly 4 in ten (37%) adults who are usually not vaccinated for COVID-19 say that wholesome kids ought to be required to be vaccinated as a way to attend public faculty.
COVID-19 And Different Winter Sicknesses
With reviews of COVID-19 circumstances growing throughout the nation, nearly a 3rd of adults (36%) say they’re anxious that they may get critically sick from COVID-19, just like the share which expressed this concern in January (34% anxious) amidst the preliminary omicron surge within the U.S., however up from November 2021 (30% anxious) earlier than the omicron variant grew to become widespread. Nonetheless, about half of the general public (49%) say they’re anxious that there might be a rise in COVID-19 circumstances and hospitalizations this 12 months. Adults ages 65 and older, who’re extra weak to damaging outcomes from a COVID-19 an infection, are extra possible than youthful adults to specific fear a few winter COVID-19 surge (60% vs. 46%) and to fret that they may get critically sick from the virus (43% vs. 34%).
As earlier KFF surveys have discovered time and time once more, folks of shade proceed to be extra involved concerning the pandemic in comparison with White adults. The December KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor survey finds that about two-thirds of Black adults (68%) and Hispanic adults (69%) say they’re very anxious about a rise in COVID-19 circumstances and hospitalizations this winter, in comparison with about 4 in ten White adults (39%) who categorical the identical concern. Black and Hispanic adults (49% and 60%, respectively) are additionally extra possible than White adults (26%) to fret that they may personally get critically sick from the virus.
Worries About COVID-19 And Different Winter Viruses In Youngsters
This winter has not solely introduced reviews of accelerating COVID-19 circumstances, but additionally widespread reviews of a surge in flu and RSV circumstances, significantly amongst kids. In an indication that COVID-19 is altering from being a singular concern to a part of the panorama of various sicknesses folks fear about, dad and mom’ worries about their kids getting sick from COVID this winter are about on par with their worries about different viruses like flu and RSV. About half of oldsters (47%) say they’re “very” or “considerably” anxious that their kids will get critically sick from COVID-19 and an identical share (51%) say they’re anxious their kids will get critically sick from the flu. A slight majority of oldsters (56%) say they’re anxious their youngster will get critically sick from RSV – rising to 73% of oldsters with kids below the age of 5, who’re significantly weak to RSV. Notably, regardless of half of oldsters saying they’re anxious their youngster might get critically sick from the flu, only a third of oldsters (34%) say their youngster has gotten a flu shot for the present flu season.
Uptake Of The Up to date Bivalent COVID-19 Booster
Though for many individuals COVID-19 could also be much less of an pressing concern this winter, public well being officers proceed to emphasise the significance of boosters in decreasing the chance of significant sickness and demise significantly among the many most weak. Regardless of this, the general public’s response to the brand new bivalent booster has been considerably lackluster. About 4 in ten adults say they’ve both obtained the up to date bivalent COVID-19 booster dose (22%), which has been out there since September, or say they plan to get the brand new booster as quickly as attainable (16%). About one in ten adults say they wish to “wait and see” earlier than getting the brand new booster (12%), whereas an identical share (13%) say they may solely get it if they’re required to take action. An extra 9% say they may positively not get the brand new up to date booster whereas about one in 4 adults (27%) are unvaccinated or solely partially vaccinated, and subsequently not eligible for the up to date bivalent booster dose.
KFF’s September COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor survey, fielded shortly after the brand new up to date booster was made out there, discovered that greater than a 3rd of older adults ages 65 and older mentioned they supposed to get the up to date booster as quickly as attainable. This month’s survey finds that many of those older adults stay keen, with 4 in ten adults ages 65 and older (39%) saying they’ve already gotten the up to date COVID-19 booster whereas 16% say they may accomplish that as quickly as they’ll. Nonetheless, this nonetheless leaves greater than half of older adults, who’re extra weak to problems from a COVID an infection, with out the safety of the up to date booster.
Democrats additionally appear wanting to get the up to date booster with about 4 in ten (38%) saying they’ve already accomplished so. Certainly, Democrats are 3 times as possible as Republicans to report having already gotten the up to date COVID-19 booster (38% vs. 12%). Notably, about three in ten Republicans say they may solely get the up to date booster if they’re required to take action (12%) or say they may “positively not” get the brand new COVID-19 booster dose (18%). An extra 37% of Republicans are unvaccinated or solely partially vaccinated and subsequently not eligible for the brand new up to date COVID-19 booster dose.
Vaccinated adults who haven’t but gotten a dose of the bivalent COVID-19 booster cite quite a lot of causes for not getting the up to date booster; about 4 in ten (44%) say they don’t assume they want it and a few third (37%) say they don’t assume the profit is value it. A few third (36%) say they’ve been too busy or haven’t had the time to get it, whereas about one in 4 (23%) say they haven’t gotten the up to date booster as a result of they’d dangerous uncomfortable side effects from a earlier COVID-19 vaccine dose. About one in six (17%) vaccinated adults who haven’t gotten the up to date booster say they haven’t accomplished so as a result of they’re ready to see if COVID-19 circumstances enhance of their space, whereas 12% say they’re ready till earlier than they journey or see weak household and associates to get the up to date booster.
Although public well being officers have burdened the significance of the up to date COVID-19 booster for older adults, who’re extra weak to problems from a COVID an infection, about one third (36%) of vaccinated adults ages 65 and older who haven’t but gotten the booster say they don’t assume they want it (36%) and an identical share say they don’t assume the advantage of the up to date booster is value it. About one in 4 (23%) vaccinated adults ages 65 and older say they haven’t gotten the up to date booster as a result of they’ve been too busy or haven’t had time to get it but.
Notably, a minimum of six in ten vaccinated Republicans or Republican leaning independents who haven’t but gotten the up to date booster say they haven’t accomplished so as a result of they don’t assume they want it (64%) or don’t assume the profit is value it (61%). Amongst vaccinated Democrats or Democratic-leaning independents who haven’t but gotten the up to date booster, the commonest purpose for not but doing so is having been too busy or not having the time to get it (51%).
About one in 4 dad and mom of youngsters ages 12 to 17 say their youngster has already gotten the up to date COVID-19 booster (16%) or that they may positively be doing so (8%). An extra 18% say their teen will most likely get the replace booster. Notably, about 4 in ten dad and mom of youngsters say their 12-17 12 months previous is just not vaccinated for COVID-19 and subsequently not eligible to get the up to date bivalent booster.
Amongst dad and mom of youthful kids between the ages of 5 and 11, six in ten (61%) say their youngster is unvaccinated and subsequently not eligible for the brand new COVID-19 booster. About one in 5 dad and mom say their 5 to 11 12 months previous has both gotten the up to date booster (14%) or will certainly be doing so (7%), whereas an additional 9% say their youngster will most likely get the up to date booster.
