Just in time for the holidays, the CDC expanded the eligibility for COVID boosters to all American adults last Friday.
In response, CivicScience launched a few surveys to determine who will take advantage of the new eligibility guidelines prior to the upcoming major holidays.
With Thanksgiving only days away from time of writing, the likelihood of American adults who have not yet received a booster recently but plan to do so before the holiday – excluding those who are not vaccinated for COVID-19 at all – is somewhat low.
Among 2,156 adults surveyed, 18% say they’re very likely to do so prior to Turkey Day.
However, looking at the results of another survey asking Americans their likelihood to get a booster prior to the Christmas holiday shows that Americans are twice as likely (answering ‘very likely’) to get theirs before December 25 (35%).
All told, there are still a good number of adults who do not plan to get their booster ahead of the holidays despite the ability to now do so. With many more traveling and gathering this year compared to last, the approval of the booster is seen as a way to prevent additional spread if possible. However, survey results show that the effect may be little, if any at all.
Looking through a lens of Thanksgiving plans, consumers who plan to have smaller gatherings are the most likely to get their booster ahead of time, whereas those who are having their usual large Thanksgiving gathering are the least likely.
We observe this same trend when examining travel intent. Holiday travelers are less likely to get their booster compared to non-holiday travelers. Specifically looking at the green bars, travelers are 41% more likely to not receive their extra shot before Christmas.
Lastly, when it comes to where people plan to receive their next booster shot, CVS and Walgreens take the cake (or pie). We also observe a large portion planning to give their doctor a call or go to a large retailer/grocer.
The findings of this short study drive home the fact that those who are more cautious about COVID are more likely to take advantage of vaccinations, leaving a large portion of the country who are more comfortable with normal activities, but not keen on inoculation. This is a trend CivicScience will continue to follow post-holiday and beyond.
