Key Findings
- With information that Moderna has requested the FDA to authorize its COVID-19 vaccine for younger kids, the newest KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor survey finds that about one in 5 mother and father of youngsters below age 5 (18%) are desperate to get their little one vaccinated immediately, whereas a bigger share (38%) say they plan to attend some time to see how the vaccine is working for others. About 4 in ten mother and father of youngsters below 5 are extra reluctant to get their little one vaccinated with 27% saying they’ll “positively not” get their little one vaccinated and 11% saying they’ll solely accomplish that if they’re required. Simply over half of oldsters of youngsters on this age vary say they don’t have sufficient details about the vaccines’ security and effectiveness for youngsters below age 5.
- With masks mandates being lifted in lots of locations, most staff say they and their coworkers are not usually sporting masks when indoors at work. Just below 4 in ten (38%) of those that work exterior their house say they wore a masks each time or more often than not when indoors at their workplace previously 30 days, and 43% say they by no means wore a masks at work previously 30 days. Black staff (64%), Hispanic staff (52%), and people with decrease incomes (61%) are extra doubtless than their counterparts to report sporting masks at work not less than more often than not.
- Most staff (88%) say they really feel not less than “considerably secure” from COVID-19 within the office. Nevertheless, Black and Hispanic staff and people with decrease incomes are much less doubtless than their counterparts to say they really feel “very secure” from COVID-19 at work.
- Whereas most mother and father (84%) really feel their little one is not less than “considerably secure” from COVID-19 in school, mother and father who’re Black or Hispanic are much less more likely to really feel their little one is “very secure” than White mother and father (33% vs. 52%). Fewer than two in ten mother and father total now say their little one’s faculty has a masks requirement in place, down from seven in ten final September. Notably, Black and Hispanic mother and father are nearly 3 times as doubtless as White mother and father to say their little one often wears a masks in school.
- Uptake of each COVID-19 vaccines and booster doses seems to have leveled off, with three-quarters of adults reporting that they’ve acquired not less than one dose of a vaccine (comparatively unchanged since September 2021) and near half reporting not less than one booster dose (the identical share as in February). Whereas earlier Vaccine Monitor surveys indicated that Black and Hispanic adults had been lagging behind White adults in booster uptake, the newest survey finds that related shares of Black, Hispanic, and White adults now report receiving a booster.
- Prospects for additional booster uptake are blended, with half of those that are vaccinated however not boosted saying they’ll “positively not” get a booster or get one provided that required, and many of the eligible however unboosted inhabitants saying they really feel they’ve adequate safety from their preliminary vaccination or a previous an infection.
- With case charges starting to rise once more within the U.S., round a 3rd of the general public suppose there’s at the moment a brand new wave of COVID-19 hitting the nation, whereas half say there may be not a brand new wave, and the rest aren’t certain. Folks’s perceptions about whether or not the nation is experiencing a brand new wave of COVID-19 infections appear to mirror their view of what’s taking place amongst their very own household and buddies, with round six in ten reporting that amongst folks they know, they’ve seen fewer COVID-19 circumstances previously 30 days.
- Whereas most adults say their households and their employers are very ready for future COVID-19 surges, fewer say the identical about their native space or concerning the nation total. On the similar time, in terms of details about COVID-19 vaccines, folks proceed to belief private sources like their very own medical doctors and employers greater than official sources just like the CDC, FDA, or state governments. Belief within the CDC, FDA, Dr. Anthony Fauci, and President Biden as sources of dependable info on COVID-19 vaccines has declined since final summer time, significantly amongst Republicans.
Mother and father’ Vaccination Intentions for Their Kids
Although the FDA has nonetheless not licensed any COVID-19 vaccine for younger kids, Moderna lately introduced that it has requested the FDA to authorize its vaccine for youngsters below 6. Fielded previous to the Moderna announcement, the newest KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor survey finds that one in 5 mother and father of youngsters below 5 (18%) are desperate to vaccinate their little one and say they’ll accomplish that immediately as soon as a COVID-19 vaccine is allowed for his or her age group. Nearly 4 in ten mother and father of youngsters below 5 say they wish to “wait and see” earlier than getting their younger little one vaccinated (38%). One other 4 in ten mother and father are extra reluctant to get their younger little one vaccinated with 11% saying they’ll solely accomplish that if they’re required and 27% saying they’ll “positively not” get their little one below 5 vaccinated for COVID-19.
Amongst mother and father of 5 to 11 year-olds, who’ve been eligible for vaccination since October, about 4 in ten (39%) say their little one has gotten vaccinated whereas a big share say they’ll both solely get their little one vaccinated if they’re required for varsity (12%) or say their little one will certainly not get the COVID-19 vaccine (32%). Most mother and father of 12 to 17 year-olds say their teenager has been vaccinated (56%, pretty regular since January), whereas about three in ten (31%) say they’ll “positively not” get their teen vaccinated and 4% say they’ll solely accomplish that if they’re required.
Lack of accessible info could also be a consider mother and father’ reluctance to get their youngest kids vaccinated immediately. A majority of oldsters of youngsters below 5 say they don’t have sufficient details about the security and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines for youngsters on this age group (56%). In contrast, most mother and father of older kids really feel higher knowledgeable, with three-fourths of oldsters of teenagers and two-thirds of oldsters of youngsters ages 5-11 saying they have sufficient details about vaccine security and effectiveness for his or her age group.
Moderna’s software for emergency use authorization for its COVID-19 vaccine in younger kids comes on the heels of a earlier delay by the FDA, which introduced in February that it was ready for extra knowledge on the effectiveness of a 3rd dose earlier than evaluating the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for this age group. Most mother and father of younger kids (64%) say the FDA’s delay in granting emergency use authorization for a COVID-19 vaccine for youngsters below 5 has not affected their confidence within the security of the vaccines for this age group. About one-fifth (22%) mother and father say the delay has made them “extra assured” within the vaccine’s security for younger kids, whereas round one in eight (13%) say it has made them “much less assured.”
COVID-19 And The Office
As many workers are returning to their places of work or workplaces, and COVID-19 restrictions akin to masks necessities are being lifted from eating places, retail shops, and different venues, most staff say they really feel not less than considerably secure from COVID-19 of their office. Nevertheless, Black and Hispanic staff in addition to these with decrease incomes are much less doubtless than their counterparts to report feeling “very secure” after they go to work.
Most staff with jobs exterior the house say they really feel not less than considerably secure from COVID-19 when they’re at work, together with over half who say they really feel “very secure” (55%) and a 3rd who really feel “considerably secure.” Round one in ten say they really feel “not too secure” (9%) or “not secure in any respect” (4%).
White staff are twice as doubtless as Black staff to say they really feel “very secure” from COVID-19 when working exterior the house (63% vs. 31%), with smaller shares of Hispanic staff (48%) than White staff saying they really feel “very secure.” Throughout earnings teams, a majority of these with family incomes of $40,000 or extra say they really feel “very secure” (57%) in comparison with about 4 in ten (41%) of these with incomes of below $40,000 who say the identical. Unvaccinated staff additionally report feeling “very secure” at work exterior their home (71%) at greater charges than vaccinated staff (48%), doubtless on account of distinction in perceptions of COVID-19 as a threat.
Vaccine Mandates In The Office
In January, following the Supreme Court docket’s ruling that blocked the coverage, the Biden Administration withdrew its requirement for big employers to have staff get vaccinated for COVID-19 or be examined usually. Nevertheless, some workplaces have continued to mandate vaccines within the absence of federal coverage. We discover that 4 in ten staff say their employer is requiring on-site staff to be vaccinated for COVID-19, up from 29% in November 2021. This contains 9% of all staff who say their employer is requiring workers to have a COVID-19 booster along with their preliminary dose.
Amongst staff whose employer doesn’t require on-site staff to be vaccinated for COVID-19, most (78%, or 45% of all staff) say they don’t need their employer to have a vaccination requirement, whereas 20% of these with no requirement (11% of all staff) say they need their employer to require vaccination.
Majorities Black staff and Hispanic staff say they both have a vaccination requirement at work (45% of Black staff, 47% of Hispanic staff) or need their employer so as to add one (13% of Black staff, 10% of Hispanic staff), whereas round half of White workers (49%) don’t at the moment have a vaccine requirement and don’t need a requirement. Amongst partisans, about two-thirds of Democrats and over half of independents both say their employer requires vaccines or they need their employer to require vaccines, whereas about seven in ten Republicans (69%) say they don’t seem to be at the moment topic to such a requirement and don’t need their employer to place one in place.
Masks Utilization In The Office
With masks mandates being lifted in lots of locations, most staff say they and their coworkers are not usually sporting masks at work. About one-quarter (24%) of those that work not less than partially exterior their house say they’ve worn a masks “each time” when indoors at work previously 30 days, with one other 14% reporting they wore a masks more often than not. About one in 5 staff (19%) say they wore a masks “a number of the time” when indoors at work previously 30 days, whereas 43% say they’ve “by no means” worn a masks indoors at work previously 30 days. Three in ten say “all” or “most” of their coworkers usually put on masks at work whereas 16% say a few of their coworkers usually put on a masks. About half of workers say “only a few” (27%) or “none” (26%) of their coworkers usually put on a masks at work.
Black staff and Hispanic staff, in addition to staff with decrease incomes, are extra doubtless than others to say they and their coworkers are usually sporting masks at work. For instance, staff with family incomes of $40,000 or much less are greater than twice as doubtless as these with incomes of $90,000 or extra to say they principally put on masks at work (61% vs. 27%) and to say that almost all of their coworkers do (50% vs. 22%). Additional, almost two-thirds of Black staff (64%) and half of Hispanic staff (52%) say they put on a masks at work not less than more often than not in comparison with three in ten White workers (31%).
There are partisan variations as properly, with staff who determine as Democrats greater than 3 times as doubtless as those that determine as Republicans to report sporting a masks at work (51% vs. 16%). And regardless of being at the next threat for catching and spreading the virus, a smaller share of unvaccinated than vaccinated adults report usually sporting a masks within the office (20% vs. 45%) or say most of their coworkers put on one (17% vs. 34%).
COVID-19 And Colleges
Although COVID-19 circumstances are once more on the rise and a few faculties are reporting outbreaks amongst college students and workers following spring break, most mother and father really feel their kids are not less than “considerably secure” from COVID-19 in school, and most really feel their faculty is “doing about the correct amount” to maintain kids secure.
Practically half of oldsters with a baby at school suppose their little one is “very secure” (44%) from the danger of publicity to COVID-19 when they’re in school and a further 40% suppose their little one is “considerably secure”. Nevertheless, mother and father who’re Black or Hispanic are much less doubtless than White mother and father to say they really feel their little one is “very secure” from COVID-19 when they’re in school. Equally, vaccinated mother and father are a lot much less doubtless than unvaccinated mother and father to say they suppose their little one is “very secure” (36% vs. 59%).
Moreover, seven in ten mother and father with a baby enrolled at school say their little one’s faculty is doing “about the correct amount” to guard youngsters from COVID-19 in school. One in ten (11%) say their little one’s faculty is doing “an excessive amount of” whereas 18% really feel their little one’s faculty is “not doing sufficient” to guard youngsters from COVID-19 in school. There have been no measured variations on how Black, Hispanic, and White mother and father assessed the job their little one’s faculty is doing.
The February KFF Vaccine Monitor, following the height of an omicron wave of COVID-19 circumstances, discovered that folks had been largely divided on whether or not faculties ought to have masks necessities for college kids and workers. The present Monitor finds that there was a big shift in masks necessities in faculties for the reason that starting of the varsity yr. Three-quarters of oldsters now say they their little one’s faculty doesn’t have a masks requirement, in comparison with September 2021 when seven in ten mother and father (69%) mentioned their little one’s faculty required all college students and workers to put on masks.
About 4 in ten mother and father (41%) point out their little one usually wears a masks in school – both as a result of their faculty requires it or as a result of it’s one thing they do voluntarily. One in 4 (24%) say that every one or most college students of their little one’s faculty are both topic to a masks requirement or put on masks usually. Mother and father who’re Black or Hispanic are greater than twice as doubtless as White mother and father to say their little one often wears a masks (70% vs. 26%) and 5 instances as more likely to say that almost all different college students at their little one’s faculty put on masks (9% vs. 47%).
Developments In COVID-19 Vaccination Intentions And Uptake
The newest KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor survey finds that three in 4 adults (75%) say they’ve gotten not less than one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, a share that continues to carry comparatively regular since September 2021. 1 / 4 of adults stay unvaccinated, together with about one in six (17%) who say they positively is not going to get the vaccine, a share that has not modified considerably in almost 18 months of polling.
Relating to demographic uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine, Democrats (92%), adults 65 and older (88%), faculty graduates (86%), and people with a severe well being situation (85%) proceed to report the very best charges of being vaccinated. Republicans (55%), these below age 65 with out medical insurance (56%), and White Evangelical Christians (57%) are amongst these with the bottom vaccination charges.
Booster Doses Uptake And Intentions
COVID-19 vaccine booster uptake has additionally slowed significantly. About half of all adults (47%) now report they’ve acquired a booster dose, the identical share who mentioned so in February. One in 4 adults (26%) report being vaccinated for COVID-19 however haven’t gotten a booster, whereas 1 / 4 (25%) say they’re unvaccinated. Booster uptake differs considerably by age, with the very best charge of being boosted amongst adults 65 and older, who’re extra in danger for COVID-19 problems (70%). There’s additionally a big hole by partisanship, with Democrats greater than twice as doubtless as Republicans to report being vaccinated and boosted (68% vs. 31%).
Earlier Vaccine Monitor surveys recognized a possible racial hole in COVID-19 booster uptake, with White adults showing to outpace Black and Hispanic adults within the share who reported being boosted. The newest survey finds that related shares of Black, Hispanic, and White adults now report receiving a booster, whether or not checked out as a share of the full inhabitants or amongst these more likely to be eligible for a booster.
Notably, although youthful adults proceed to lag older adults and Republicans lag Democrats within the share who say they’ve gotten a booster dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, amongst these doubtless eligible for a booster, majorities throughout age teams, racial and ethnic teams, and get together identification say they’ve acquired a booster dose.
Amongst vaccinated adults who haven’t but acquired a booster dose, half say they’ll solely get it “if required” (27%) or say they’ll “positively not” get a booster (23%). Three in ten (30%) say they plan to get a further dose “as quickly as they’ll,” whereas 18% say they wish to “wait to see” earlier than getting a booster dose of the COVID-19 Vaccine. 4 in ten vaccinated Hispanic adults who haven’t but gotten a booster say they wish to get one “as quickly as they’ll”, in comparison with 22% of vaccinated however not but boosted White adults who say the identical. Round three in ten (29%) vaccinated however not but boosted Black adults say they’ll get a booster dose as quickly as they’ll. Notably, about three in ten vaccinated White adults who aren’t but boosted say they’ll “positively not” get a booster dose (29%) and an additional 29% say they’ll solely accomplish that if they’re required.
Causes Why Some Vaccinated Adults Have Not Gotten A Booster
Adults who’re eligible for a COVID-19 booster however haven’t but acquired one cite a wide range of causes for not getting a booster. Chief amongst them is the view that they have already got sufficient safety from both their preliminary vaccine doses or from a earlier COVID-19 an infection (56%). Different widespread causes these booster-eligible adults say they haven’t but gotten a booster embody simply not desirous to get it (45%), considering boosters are ineffective as a result of some vaccinated individuals are nonetheless getting contaminated (39%), and being too busy to go get the shot (33%). About three in ten cite not trusting the federal government or medical system (29%) or not believing the COVID-19 vaccines are secure (28%) as causes for not getting a booster. Fewer cite different causes like unintended effects from a earlier dose (18%), they don’t like getting pictures (15%), worries about lacking work (8%), difficulties touring to a vaccination website (7%), or worries about having to pay out of pocket (4%).
Perceptions Of Present Case Charges And Preparation For Future Waves
As COVID-19 circumstances are as soon as once more on the rise, a bit of greater than a 3rd (35%) of adults suppose there’s a new wave of COVID-19 infections hitting the nation. Half of adults say there may be not a brand new wave of COVID-19 infections hitting the U.S. now and 14% are uncertain if the nation is within the midst of a brand new wave.
There are stark variations in partisan perceptions of the present state of COVID-19 infections as a slight majority of Democrats (53%) suppose that there’s a new wave proper now within the U.S., whereas seven in ten Republicans suppose there may be not. Notably, nearly three-quarters of unvaccinated adults (73%) don’t suppose there’s a new wave of COVID-19 infections within the U.S., in line with prior surveys discovering that unvaccinated adults are likely to view the virus as much less of a threat in comparison with those that are vaccinated.
Folks’s perceptions about whether or not the nation is experiencing a brand new wave of COVID-19 infections appear to mirror their view of what’s taking place amongst their very own household and buddies. Round six in ten adults say that among the many folks they know, they’ve seen fewer COVID-19 circumstances previously 30 days (62%) whereas two in ten say they’ve seen about the identical variety of circumstances (21%). Fewer than one in ten (6%) say they’ve seen extra circumstances previously 30 days amongst folks they know. Moreover, round half of adults (51%) say that the folks they know who’ve been contaminated with COVID-19 previously 30 days are experiencing much less extreme signs than these contaminated in earlier waves.
Preparedness For Future COVID-19 Waves
With a brand new omicron subvariant persevering with to unfold, six in ten adults (61%) say that they and their households are very ready for any future rise of circumstances on account of a brand new variant, and round two-thirds of employed adults say their office may be very ready (66%). Barely lower than half of oldsters (45%) say their little one’s faculty may be very ready for an increase in COVID-19 circumstances on account of new variants. Nevertheless, round a 3rd report that their native space extra typically may be very ready for an increase in COVID-19 circumstances (36%).
In distinction to views of their private degree of preparation, fewer adults suppose the U.S. as a rustic may be very ready to cope with any future rise in circumstances on account of a brand new variant of COVID-19. 1 / 4 of adults say that the U.S. may be very ready to cope with any future rise in circumstances on account of a brand new variant (25%), with 44% saying the nation is considerably ready, and 1 / 4 saying it isn’t too ready (15%) or not ready in any respect (11%).
Black and Hispanic adults and people with decrease family incomes are much less more likely to say that they, their household, and their office are very ready to cope with future COVID-19 circumstances. A bigger share of White adults says they and their household are very ready with any future rise in circumstances (65%) in comparison with Black (52%) and Hispanic adults (46%). As well as, bigger shares of these with greater incomes say they and their household are very ready (72% of these with a family earnings of $90,000 or extra a yr, in comparison with 55% of these with an earnings of lower than $90,000). Equally, White staff usually tend to say their office may be very ready (71%) than Black (48%) or Hispanic staff (56%).
Belief In COVID-19 Vaccine Data
When requested who folks belief to offer dependable details about the COVID-19 vaccines, folks’s personal medical doctors, together with pediatricians prime the record, with 85% of adults saying they belief their private physician “an ideal deal” or “a good quantity.” Equally, 83% of oldsters say they belief their little one’s pediatrician to offer them with dependable details about the COVID-19 vaccines. Majorities of staff belief their employer (77%), insured adults belief their medical insurance firm (73%), and majorities belief their native public well being division (68%) for this info. About two-thirds belief COVID-19 vaccine info from the CDC (64%) or the FDA (62%) and about half of adults belief their state authorities officers (54%), Dr. Anthony Fauci (53%), and President Joe Biden (49%).
Aside from their very own employers, there are stark partisan variations in belief with Republicans being much less doubtless than Democrats to belief every of the opposite sources of COVID-19 vaccine info requested about within the survey. Certainly, Republicans are significantly much less doubtless than their Democratic counterparts to belief federal and institutional sources of data.
The share who says they belief President Biden, the FDA, the CDC, and Dr. Fauci to offer dependable info on COVID-19 vaccines has declined since December 2020. Regardless of some criticism of how the FDA and CDC have dealt with vaccine rollout and messaging, belief amongst Democrats has remained excessive. Nevertheless, amongst Republicans, the share who say they belief the FDA fell from a majority (62%) to about 4 in ten (43%). Equally, the share of Republicans who belief the CDC not less than a good quantity fell from a majority in December (57%) to 4 in ten (41%). The share of Republicans who belief Dr. Fauci for such info fell by roughly half between December 2020 and now, from 47% to 25%. As well as, belief in President Biden, already low amongst Republicans in December when he was President-elect, sank even additional.
The latest downward motion in Republicans’ degree of belief within the CDC and Dr. Fauci on coronavirus is a continuation of a pattern that started earlier within the pandemic. In April 2020, below a distinct Administration, massive shares of each Democrats and Republicans mentioned they’d not less than a good quantity of belief within the CDC and in Dr. Anthony Fauci to offer dependable details about coronavirus typically. By September 2020, the shares of Republicans who mentioned they trusted each fell by greater than 25 share factors every. This pattern has continued because the query shifted to ask about sources of data on COVID-19 vaccines.