U.S. resistance to getting a COVID-19 vaccine is slowly diminishing, a new online survey finds, but it still exists and at especially high rates in some blue-collar jobs — and nearly half of respondents are worried about side effects.
For adults under age 65 who are hesitant, reluctance is mainly driven by concerns about safety, side effects and distrust in government, the poll found. It’s also largely linked to people’s line of work.
The bottom line: “Vaccine hesitancy is emerging as a key barrier to ending the COVID-19 pandemic,” said lead author Wendy King, associate professor of epidemiology in the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health.
Identifying occupations with a high rate of vaccine hesitancy and understanding the reasons for it might help public health workers address concerns, she said.