The KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor is an ongoing research project tracking the public’s attitudes and experiences with COVID-19 vaccinations. Using a combination of surveys and qualitative research, this project tracks the dynamic nature of public opinion as vaccine development and distribution unfold, including vaccine confidence and acceptance, information needs, trusted messengers and messages, as well as the public’s experiences with vaccination.Key FindingsThe latest Vaccine Monitor finds the share of adults who say they have either received a COVID-19 vaccine (67%) or say they will get vaccinated as soon as they can (3%) is relatively unchanged from June. The poll, conducted July 15-27th, may not capture any recent uptick in vaccinations after the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), citing the increased risk of the Delta variant to both unvaccinated and vaccinated people.Three in ten adults remain unvaccinated including one in ten who say they want to “wait and see” how the vaccine works for other people before getting vaccinated and 3% who say they will do so “only if required” (down from 6% in June). An additional 14% say they will “definitely not” get a vaccine, a share that has held relatively steady since December. One-fourth of unvaccinated adults (8% of all adults) say they are likely to get a vaccine before the end of 2021, including nearly half (45%) of those who say they want to “wait and see.”Unvaccinated adults, especially those who say they will “definitely not” get a vaccine, are much less worried about the coronavirus, the Delta variant, and have less confidence in the safety and effectiveness of the vaccines compared to those who are vaccinated. Three-fourths of unvaccinated adults, including nine in ten of those who say they will “definitely not” get the vaccine, say they are “not worried” about getting seriously sick from the virus, less than half say they are worried about the Delta variant worsening the pandemic, more than half (including 75% of “definitely not”) say getting vaccinated is a bigger risk to their health than getting infected with coronavirus, and a quarter (just one in ten of “definitely not”) say the vaccines are effective at keeping vaccinated people from dying from COVID-19 or getting seriously ill.The increase in COVID-19 cases and news of the Delta variant spreading in the U.S. has made some people say they are more likely to wear a mask in public or avoid large gatherings, though this is mainly driven by vaccinated adults. Majorities of vaccinated adults say news of the variants has made them more likely to wear a mask in public (62%) or avoid large gatherings (61%), while fewer unvaccinated adults say the same (37% and 40%, respectively). However, one in five unvaccinated adults (22%) say news of variants has made them more likely to get vaccinated for COVID-19. This includes one-third (34%) of those who want to “wait and see,” but few (2%) of those who say they will “definitely not” get a vaccine say the news made them more likely to get vaccinated.The public is divided on whether the federal government should recommend employers require vaccines among their employees. Half (51%) say the federal government should recommend employers require their employees to get the COVID-19 vaccine unless they have a medical exception while a similar share (45%) say the federal government should not recommend this. Views towards this issue are sharply divided by both vaccination status and party identification, with 68% of vaccinated adults and 75% of Democrats saying the federal government should issue this recommendation, while eight in ten (81%) unvaccinated adults and 67% of Republicans say the federal government should not do this.Prior to the CDC issuing the newest guidance encouraging all adults, regardless of vaccine status, to wear masks indoors if they are in an area with higher transmission levels of coronavirus, half of adults said they wore a protective mask at least “most of the time” at an indoor setting like a grocery store, while less than half report wear a mask at least “most of the time” on public transit (44%), at work (42%), outdoors in crowded places (41%), or outdoors with household members or friends (18%). Across most places asked about, vaccinated adults were more likely to report wearing a mask at least “most of the time” than unvaccinated adults. Majorities of Republicans saying they “never” wear a mask outdoors in crowded places, outdoors with friends and household members, at work, or in a grocery store. Democrats, on the other hand, are more likely to report wearing a mask in all of these locations, except when outdoors with household members and friends.
