Most Americans in a new poll said they probably won’t get an updated COVID-19 vaccine.
The Pew Research Center survey found that 60 percent said they are “probably not” going to “get an updated vaccine.” Just under 25 percent said they “probably” will get a booster and 15 percent said they have already received the latest shot.
It has been over four years since the U.S. began dealing with COVID-19, with the spread of the virus causing mass shutdowns within multiple industries and people around the world being forced to stay in their homes.
Those in the survey who had hesitancy around the updated vaccine were asked which “major” concerns could prompt them to skip the latest dose. Roughly 60 percent cited issues around side effects, 61 percent said they don’t think they need it, and 5 percent said the cost was a factor in their decision to avoid the shot.
The data comes after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended those who are older than 65 or are immunocompromised to consider a second dose of the latest vaccine.
President-elect Trump recently selected Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has a history of anti-vaccine activism, to lead the Department of Health and Human Services in his next administration. Kennedy has been previously strongly against the COVID vaccine and was banned from Instagram in early 2021 for the purposeful distribution of vaccine misinformation.
The Pew Research Center survey was conducted between Oct. 21-27 and featured 9,593 people in the U.S. The margin of error was 1.3 percentage points.