More than half of Americans say they would refuse or delay the administration of a COVID-19 vaccine, according to a new survey.
While the number of U.S. residents seeking immunization has risen since December, 51 percent remain either hesitant or even opposed to getting shot, according to a survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Of this defiant group, 31 percent say they want to see additional results about the vaccine’s effectiveness and side effects before making a decision, 13 percent refuse to take it, and another 7 percent say they will only do so if it is necessary.
“Those who have not yet been vaccinated for COVID-19 have many concerns and information needs about the new vaccines,” the polls said in a statement.
About half say they do not have enough information about the side effects or effectiveness of the vaccine.
Younger, black and Hispanic adults are particularly wary of the lack of information, although there have been some gains in the number of groups seeking to be immunized since last month, the survey says.
Meanwhile, 41% of Americans say they want to get vaccinated as soon as possible, a 7% increase from December, the study shows.
Six percent of respondents had already been immunized by the time of the survey in January.
The survey found that US residents living in rural communities who identify as Republicans remain among the most hesitant to get shot.