COVID-19 UPDATE
Vaccine Hesitancy By Diane Simpson, MD
People who remain hesitant to receive a COVID-19 vaccine are receiving a great deal of attention in print and broadcast media. They are in effect the ‘swing votes’ on whether or when the United States can achieve herd immunity through vaccination and prevent the introduction and spread of new variants. Not all eligible persons who remain unvaccinated in July 2021 are “vaccine hesitant.” Some are “vaccine opposed” and refuse or resist most or all immunizations and laws that mandate vaccines. Others are “vaccine challenged.” These are vaccine eligible persons who will take the vaccine when they can, but currently face barriers in time, transportation or other logistical factors. The “vaccine hesitant” are those with unanswered concerns and questions that keep them from receiving the vaccine. Understanding the who and why of vaccine hesitancy can help inform the public health and medical provider on what to do. THE WHO National Information Through a series of surveys and focus groups, the Kaiser Family Foundation monitors COVID-19 vaccination attitudes and experiences in the United States. Their latest results obtained in late May provide a national snapshot of the percent who are either receptive, hesitant, resistant or adamantly
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Figure 1: Kaiser Family Foundation COVID-19 Vaccination Attitudes
Figure 2: Vaccine Attitude by Class
By The New York Times, David Leonhardt | Source: Kaiser Family Foundation
SAN ANTONIO MEDICINE • July 2021
