Vaccine Acceptance Almost Unanimous: Other Survey Findings Too

March 6, 2021 — Thanks to the 300 people who took our Covid Vaccine Survey. Everyone in this community is in your debt for the few moments you donated to let us know about your vaccination trials and successes. Here are the results of the survey, with several surprises mixed in with findings that were more predictable.

Comparison with our Sept., 2020 Coronavirus Survey.

It is also interesting to compare the results of this survey with a similar one we conducted last September. The biggest change from then to now is the new willingness to take the vaccine: while 29% of Members said in September they would not take the vaccine, only 2% in this latest survey said they would decline it. There is continued caution around willingness to eat inside a restaurant. Mask compliance around non-family members remains high, although at slightly lower levels than in our September survey.

Overall Conclusions:

The overwhelming majority of our Members want to get the shots, with only 2% saying they won’t get them. Almost half have already had two doses, with a third reporting they have had one dose.

Folks are evenly split about the difficulty or ease of getting the vaccine.

Finding out how and where to get their shots has not been easy – they have had to use a variety of sources to score them. This seems to confirm what most of us experienced: America’s vaccination effort has had a very chaotic start, with no central central clearing house either on the federal or state level.

Respondent generally rate their states as poor for fairness and information about how and where to get a shot, and this includes their websites. But the sites where the shots are being administered get high marks for convenience and customer service.

People report that their lives will change once they are fully vaccinated, but not in a huge way. Most said their lives would be “somewhat” improved, with “travel” being the activity they most look forward to. Eating inside in a restaurant is still considered risky by most respondents, and mask wearing around non-family members will remain high.

Detailed results

Have You had your shot yet?

Yes, two doses	43%
Yes, one dose	34%
No	18%
Not eligible	5%
No	2%

Had shot yet?

2. How difficult was it for you to get your shot?

Moderate	33%
Difficult	29%
Easy	29%
Haven’t tried	8%

3. How did find out how to get your vaccine appointment?

No one place dominated where people found out how to get their shots.

County	21%
Other	20%
Friend/relative	15%
State website	15%
Doctor/medical practice	14%
Pharmacy	5%
Employer	4%

4. How would you rate your state’s handling of the vaccination rollout?

The aspect of the vaccine rollout that got the highest favorable ratings concerned the actual administration of the shot – “Got shot in convenient location” was rated highly, and “Customer Service” was off the charts. “Information on where to get a shot”, “Fairness to all”, and Statewide websites were the lowest rated aspects.

5 and 6. States doing a Great job with vaccinations; those doing a Poor job:

There were a number of write-ins for states doing great or poorly with vaccine administration. Almost every state was mentioned for one or the other, with most getting both good and bad ratings (Florida had an equal number for both). One state that did garner mostly positive reviews was Connecticut.

7. How much will your life change once you have had both doses of the vaccine?

The answers to this question were a little surprising; we thought that more people would say a “great deal”. Perhaps that means that people have become accustomed to life in a pandemic, and have found ways to maintain normal activities.

Somewhat	50%
Not much	24%
A great deal	19%
Probably	7%

Photo by **RODNAE Productions** from **Pexels**

8. What one or two activities are you looking forward to the most once you become immunized?

Again, we were a little surprised that visiting grandchildren was not rated higher on this question. It could be that travel and visiting grandchildren are correlated, or it is possible that many people either don’t have grandchildren, or they live nearby.

Travel	35%
Visiting grandchildren	18%
Entertaining/socializing	17%
Eating at an indoor restaurant	17%
Other option	6%
Going to the gym	4%

9. Once you have had the vaccine, will you eat inside at a restaurant this summer?

Back in September we asked this question slightly differently, but the outcome is roughly similar. Back then 47% said they would go to a restaurant, but 28% said they would only do it if they could eat outdoors there.

Yes	40%
Not sure	38%
No	22%

10. Once vaccinated, will you wear a mask around non-family members through this summer?
It appears that willingness to wear a mask all of the time around non-family members will go down slightly once people are fully vaccinated. Back in September 49% said they would wear masks all of the time around non-family members.

All of the time	40%
Most of the time	31%
Only if indoors	14%
Some of the time	11%
No	5%

11. If you plan on flying in the next few months, what precautions will you take?

Air travel does not appear to be in the immediate plans of our survey takers.

Don’t plan on flying	59%
Single mask	22%
Double mask	14%
Mask and face shield	5%

12. Once you are vaccinated, will you feel comfortable being around non-vaccinated people.

Caution and uncertainty remains about being around other people, even if everyone has been vaccinated. It seems like it might take a while for the world to return to normal and all aspects of this pandemic are better understood.

Slightly uncomfortable	39%
Neutral	27%
Comfortable	18%
Very uncomfortable	11%
Very comfortable	5%

Comments:
See the Blog article inviting participation in the survey (it’s not too late to fill it out!) for more comments about Covid vaccinations. If you have more thoughts about it or your coronavirus experience, please post them in the Comments section below.

Previous Topretirements Survey Results:

Comments on "Vaccine Acceptance Almost Unanimous: Other Survey Findings Too"

Larry says:

March 8, 2021

Can vouch for CT. No muss, no fuss, good communication in media and especially through friends network (some non-bureaucrat always knows what’s what before the state announces it). Still, the state has been very organized, and my wife and I look forward to shot #2 (Moderna) in two days. Then it is off to visit the kids in Vermont and Florida, with some golf sprinkled in in SC. Starting to feel more normal, but we will still take precautions. Just not feeling as paranoid.

Jennifer says:

In the District of Columbia, it has been very difficult to get a vaccination even if one is 65 and over. Things are improving which is good. I get my second Pfizer shot on Wednesday (March 10) and it cannot come too soon as I am a front-line worker just over the state line in Maryland.

Maimi says:

I am a little surprised by the variety of answers about what precautions people will take after they are fully vaccinated. We need further guidance from the CDC on what activities are safe after vaccination and I do hope people listen to the science this time! The USA has been the worst in the world and it needs to end now. Also, some of us do not have grandchildren, but have not seen our own children. For me, it has been a year and I can’t wait to be able to travel safely.

RichPB says:

Our process for getting an appointment and actually getting the Phizer shots in NC were very easy and efficient. This was through UNC Hospital clinics and I've heard other county and public health services are not so simple. Most of our 65+ friends have had similar experiences. Still taking precautions with younger unvaccinated family, but looking forward to freely visiting with vaccinated family and friends per the new CDC guidelines released today.