RT’s Three Key Takeaways:
- Survey Overview: The Annenberg Science and Public Well being (ASAPH) survey, carried out amongst almost 1,500 US adults, revealed a rising reluctance to obtain the COVID-19 vaccine, with rising acceptance of vaccine-related misinformation.
- Rising Misinformation Beliefs: The survey discovered that 28% of Individuals now imagine COVID-19 vaccines have brought about hundreds of deaths, reflecting a major rise in vaccine misinformation acceptance since 2021.
- Comparative Notion of Vaccine Security: The survey additionally highlighted that Individuals understand COVID-19 vaccines as much less secure and efficient than different vaccines, resembling MMR and flu vaccines, which can additional discourage vaccination uptake.
The Meals and Drug Administration (FDA) final week permitted up to date COVID-19 vaccines to guard Individuals 6 months and older towards the virus. However Annenberg Public Coverage Heart well being survey knowledge finds that the variety of Individuals believing COVID-19 vaccination misinformation has risen, and their willingness to take or suggest vaccination towards COVID-19 is decrease than up to now.
The 2024 waves of the Annenberg Science and Public Well being (ASAPH) data survey, a nationally consultant panel survey of almost 1,500 US adults, counsel that many could also be reluctant to get the up to date vaccine.
The survey discovered there’s larger acceptance of COVID-19 vaccine misinformation. As of July 2024:
- Over 1 / 4 of Individuals (28%) imagine that the COVID-19 vaccines have been answerable for hundreds of deaths, up from 22% in June 2021. The share who imagine that is false declined to 55% from 66%
- Over one in 5 Individuals (22%) imagine that it’s safer to get a COVID-19 an infection than to get the vaccine, up from 10% in April 2021, months after the vaccines have been launched.
- The share of Individuals who imagine that the COVID-19 vaccine modifications folks’s DNA almost doubled to fifteen% from 8% in April 2021.
“Perception in these three misconceptions is related to elevated reluctance to vaccinate,” says Kathleen Corridor Jamieson, director of the Annenberg Public Coverage Heart and director of the survey, in a launch.
The coverage heart’s ASAPH surveys additionally discovered:
- Comparatively few are nervous: Only one in 5 folks (20%, July 2024) are considerably or very nervous they or somebody of their household will contract COVID-19, down from 25% in February 2024 and 35% in October 2023.
- Decreased curiosity: Below half of these surveyed (44%) mentioned in February 2024 they’re “considerably doubtless” or “very doubtless” to get a yearly COVID-19 vaccine if it is strongly recommended by the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC), down from 52% in June 2023.
- Advantages vs. dangers: Two-thirds of Individuals (66% in July 2024) say the advantages of taking COVID-19 vaccines outweigh the dangers—however that’s decrease than the share who say the advantages outweigh the dangers for the mpox vaccine (70% in July 2024), RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) vaccine for adults 60 and older (74% in October 2023), and MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine (89% in August 2023).
- COVID-19 vaccines seen as much less secure and efficient than others: As of the October 2023 survey, fewer folks regard COVID-19 vaccines as secure (66%) and efficient (65%) than a wide range of different vaccines: MMR (81% secure, 83% efficient); flu (81% secure, 75% efficient); shingles (78% secure, 73% efficient) or pneumonia (74% secure, 69% efficient).
- A hypothetical trivalent vaccine: In July 2024, lower than half of these surveyed (49%) could be prone to take a mixed single-shot mRNA vaccine to guard towards flu, RSV, and COVID-19 if one existed and the CDC beneficial it. On the similar time, 27% say they might be “in no way doubtless” to take such a single-shot mRNA vaccine.
“With the CDC reporting that COVID-19 an infection stays an ongoing risk and an up to date vaccine obtainable, now’s the time to ramp up consciousness each of the worth of vaccinating towards COVID-19 and of the dangers of contracting the illness,” Jamieson says in a launch.
Further Findings on Different Vaccines, Together with Flu and RSV
The newest ASAPH report additionally contains findings on:
- Declining flu vaccination: Fewer folks say they’ve had a seasonal flu shot. In mid-February 2024 on the finish of flu season, 45% reported having had a seasonal flu shot, in contrast with 50% in January 2023. These figures are usually according to CDC knowledge, which exhibits a decline in flu vaccination protection to 47% in January 2024 from 50% in December 2022.
- Decline in RSV vaccine acceptance for older adults: Simply over half of these surveyed (55%) could be prone to suggest {that a} good friend or member of the family age 60 or older discuss with their well being care supplier about whether or not to get the RSV vaccine, down from 61% in August 2023.
[Related: What Percentage of Older Adults Got RSV Vaccines? Hint: It’s Single Digits]
- Many not sure of vaccines’ effectiveness: Sizable numbers of respondents in 2022 and 2023 are not sure of the effectiveness of assorted vaccines directed at particular populations (32% aren’t certain in regards to the vaccine for HPV, or human papillomavirus, aimed toward younger folks; 23% for pneumonia and 19% for shingles, each for ailments affecting older folks) and of the efficacy of getting vaccinated towards RSV throughout being pregnant (47%) or when one is over 60 years outdated (37%).
- Data about vaccination beneficial for many who are pregnant: From June 2023 to April 2024, respondents elevated their understanding of which vaccinations the CDC recommends throughout being pregnant. In April 2024, many knew that the CDC recommends getting vaccinated whereas pregnant towards the seasonal flu (50%), COVID-19 (43%), and whooping cough (35%). Respondents have been comparably conscious of which vaccines the CDC doesn’t suggest getting whereas pregnant: measles (MMR, 39%) and chickenpox (43%).
The ASAPH Report
The findings on COVID-19 misinformation and vaccination, measles, mpox, local weather well being, and confidence in public well being establishments are reported in the summertime 2024 Annenberg Science and Public Well being Data Monitor, obtainable as a free obtain from the Annenberg Public Coverage Heart.
The science and well being monitor includes survey reviews that observe nationwide ranges of well being data and misinformation over time. Constructing on the Annenberg Science Data surveys, which since 2016 have been targeted on well being data and misinformation about subjects such because the Zika virus, measles, COVID-19 and vaccination, the ASAPH generates indices of data about such very important well being subjects as maternal and reproductive well being, vaccination, COVID-19, monkeypox, and heat-related sickness. It additionally supplies an ongoing measure of public confidence within the CDC, FDA, and Nationwide Institutes of Well being (NIH).
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