Poll: Unvaccinated Americans Cite Lack of Trust, Safety Concerns for Not Getting the Jab

Nearly half of unvaccinated U.S. adults cite lack of trust in coronavirus vaccine development and concern over safety and general side effects as the reasons they have not received the jab, a Morning Consult survey released Thursday found.

Morning Consult surveyed 744 unvaccinated individuals in the U.S. June 25-28, examining the reasons why they have not yet received the shot despite the Biden administration’s efforts to encourage as many eligible people as possible to get vaccinated.

“A loved one was fine until he gotten it so I blame it for the death,” one individual said, according to Morning Consult, with another adding, “I’m not going to be controlled by the government.”

The survey found 49 percent of unvaccinated individuals citing a lack of trust in the vaccine development process and concern over safety or side effects.

“No one knows the long-term effects after taking the vaccine,” one Millennial said, according to the outlet.

Ten percent cited “conspiracies, mistrust of drug companies or government,” with one Baby Boomer telling the outlet, “I will not be a test subject for Big Pharma.”

“I will not get a vaccine from the same people who created the virus,” a Millennial surveyed added.

Seven percent said they have not received the jab because they believe they are low risk, six percent attributed it to access or time restraints, and six percent said they plan to get vaccinated eventually.

“And the rest of the survey respondents either didn’t specify a reason or listed something else, like being pregnant and wanting to wait, or being turned off by the possibility that vaccinated people may need booster shots,” according to Morning Consult:

Many respondents cited multiple concerns, indicating an overall wariness of new vaccines that have been heavily politicized since the early days of the pandemic. People also ranged from ambivalent to wholly opposed to vaccination, underscoring that America’s holdouts don’t all fit neatly into the category of “vaccine hesitant.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) over 181 million people in the U.S. have received at least one coronavirus shot, representing 54.7 percent of the total U.S. population.

The U.S. will fall well below the Biden administration’s goal of having 70 percent of the population vaccinated by July 4. His administration has blamed young people for the country’s failure to reach the goal.