Two weeks ago, CivicScience reported on the large dip in Johnson & Johnson vaccine preference among U.S. adults after its vaccine was pulled from distribution due to a rare but severe blood clot condition seen in women who received a dose.
While the drop in preference came as no surprise, the dip remains, with Pfizer being the top preference among those who plan to get the vaccine. However, there was a slight increase in those who don’t have a preference at all. Only 13% would prefer J&J.
Now that the FDA has ended its pause on distribution and plans to add a warning to the label, CivicScience asked Americans about future comfortability to receive the J&J vaccine should they be given the option. When rebased only among those who would get a COVID-19 vaccine to begin with, the data show just more than half say they would not be comfortable with receiving it at all or that they aren’t sure. However, 28% still say they’d be very comfortable with getting a J&J shot, and another 19% are somewhat comfortable.
According to the data, the possibility of blood clots in women, no matter how rare, has women much less comfortable than men about receiving the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
Still Unvaccinated
The U.S. just reached 100 million shots in arms, and coronavirus case numbers are at their lowest point in seven months, so it’s clear the vaccine campaign is having an impact on the pandemic. While this may be true, the data also show it’s likely there will be a large segment of the population who may never get the vaccine. According to the survey, 56% of unvaccinated adults say they’re not at all likely to get it.
The data tell us a lot about who is less inclined to receive the vaccine. By occupation, teachers and health care workers are the most likely to have answered that they have already received a partial or full vaccine. Craftsmen, laborers, and farm workers are the least likely to get the vaccine, followed up by government workers and military members. Even service workers are up there in vaccine hesitancy when comparing all jobs.
Just among the unvaccinated, Americans ages 25 to 34 show the least likelihood to get their shot. Men are slightly less likely than women to get the vaccine, but women are the most unsure.
Unvaccinated people who earn between $100 and $150K annually are strikingly more likely to pass on the COVID-19 vaccine. Unvaccinated people who make under $100K a year are more likely to get it, but also more likely to be unsure.
Interestingly, among just the unvaccinated, those who are financially the same or better off than prior to the pandemic are the least likely to be vaccinated.
Census region comes into play in the vaccine landscape, with possible ties to the occupation cross-tabulation from above. Those in the U.S. Midwest are the most unlikely to get the vaccine, when compared to other regions with less farmers and other laborers. Those in the West who still haven’t gotten the shot are the most likely to eventually be vaccinated.
Some of this just comes down to beliefs regarding the severity of the pandemic and measures in place to combat it. Those who think that isolation and social distancing will only need to take place for another few weeks are the most likely to say they won’t be vaccinated.
With all American adults now eligible to be vaccinated against COVID-19, tracking the progress of unvaccinated people will be the number to watch. CivicScience will monitor the numbers and report significant changes and relevant insights.
