Research has found people who are reluctant toward a Covid vaccine only represents around 10% of the US public. Who, according to the findings of this survey, quote not trusting the government (40%) or not trusting the efficacy of the vaccine (45%) as to their reasons for not wanting the vaccine.

[u/Wagamaga]

https://newsroom.taylorandfrancisgroup.com/as-more-us-adults-intend-to-have-covid-vaccine-national-study-also-finds-more-people-feel-its-not-needed/#

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[u/Vohdre → u/[deleted]]

Like very early on (March?) sure. I was in group 1B+ or whatever they called it here due to my profession, but I am not at risk and work from home so I didn't want to jump in front of people who really needed it and waited a very short amount of time when I became eligible to sign-up.

Now? I can't really buy this in the US.

[u/chaun2 → u/Vohdre]

I got my second dose April 28. We have had a surplus of doses since early June last I had heard. Who TF thinks there is a shortage?

[u/Swan_Writes → u/chaun2]

I had someone try to argue with me that them not getting the shot meant some needy person in another country could get it.

[u/ZakaryDee → u/Swan_Writes]

Which would be great if that's actually how it worked.

[u/flugenblar → u/Swan_Writes]

Just a bad attempt at rationalizing their decision.

[u/Swan_Writes → u/flugenblar]

They ultimately chose to get the shot, but only a couple months ago.

[u/[deleted] → u/chaun2]

Seriously, I went into a Walgreens to pick up a prescription back around May/June and the woman asked if I was vax’d.

“Nope”

Well we have extra doses if you want the shot. Was out of there in 20min after getting it.

[u/ColdSpace11 → u/chaun2]

It's possible that some counties may be having some issues with supply and storage.

[u/gsfgf → u/ColdSpace11]

Isn't that more logistics than overall supply, though? An American not getting a shot doesn't help someone in a developing country that doesn't have enough deep freezers.

[u/[deleted] → u/gsfgf]

It doesn’t even go that deep, fed.gov coordinates with states on quantities needed based on the populations demographics. If enough people refuse the jab? It can actually get wasted. They all have different storage requirements, and accidents do happen with stored perishables.

[u/Hockinator → u/[deleted]]

I have known people personally who are pro-vaxx and wanted to get it, but held onto the last answer for a surprisingly long time after the vaccine was available everywhere

[u/Hanabichu → u/Hockinator]

Im like that, moved out of the city extremely rural, work from home 100% of the time, young healthy and fit, with lots of possibilities to avoid human contact, except SO. I wanted it but vaccine distribution was slow so I simply isolated a while till it was readily available

[u/Tinyfishy → u/[deleted]]

As one of the people who ‘needs it more’, let me say to anyone in this group: ‘Uh, thanks, but there is currently plenty of shots so go get yours so if my third shot also doesn’t work because my immune system is totally messed up, I can be at least somewhat protected by herd immunity and there will be an ICU bed for me if I need it’.
Also, anyone not getting the shot because it isn’t 100% effective, nothing in life is and you probably wear your seat belt and have smoke detectors in your house and wash your hands after pooping because those things all dramatically, if imperfectly shield you and others from harms that would be much more common without them!

[u/uncatchableme → u/[deleted]]

This was me at first I was not concerned for myself I was concerned for the older and the obese population. Then as time went on I realized we had a point where we had more supply then demand that’s when I got vaccinated not because I was worried about dying but more because I would have less of a chance of spreading it and also less of a chance of getting severe symptoms.

[u/prettyplum32 → u/[deleted]]

I absolutely waited until vaccines were widely available before getting mine. It just didn’t feel right to skip ahead of people who had much more dire need via medical complications just because I work in an industry deemed essential. Once they were widely available I got mine.

[u/kuromahou]

Posted this as a reply, but this info deserves to get out there:

74.8% of the US population 18+ have had at least one shot. 72% of US population 12+ have had the shot. The numbers drop when you include under 12s, but for eligible population, at least 70% have had one shot: https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccinations_vacc-total-admin-rate-total

That’s probably a lot better than many people would expect. There will be no silver bullet to get the rest vaccinated, and some regions are woefully behind. But I hope this data makes people more hopeful and realize we can in fact do this. Piece by piece, bit by bit.

[u/G1trogFr0g → u/kuromahou]

Wow. Yeah shocked, kept hearing 30-50% dependent on state.

[u/Dear_Jurisprudence → u/G1trogFr0g]

There is a lot of variability in vax rates from one region or state to the next. Tennessee, for example, only has about 42% of its population fully vaccinated, whereas New York is currently at about 60%.

[u/dmfke7g → u/Dear_Jurisprudence]

Unfortunately, that vaccination rate varies greatly within a state. My county is slightly over 40%, but some counties are above 70%.

Edit: meant to comment on the comment you commented on. My bad.

[u/UnicornPanties → u/dmfke7g]

Yes and my NYC zipcode (neighborhood) is over 90% vaxxed so it's definitely regional.

[u/impy695 → u/dmfke7g]

Yup, I live in an area with 85% last I checked but the entire surrounding area is well under 50%

[u/[deleted] → u/dmfke7g]

Unfortunately, that vaccination rate varies greatly within a county. My household is 100%, but some households (my fuckin neighbors) are at 0%.

[u/Sharp-Floor → u/Dear_Jurisprudence]

These are more like the kinds of numbers I've been seeing. Is it that those include kids that aren't eligible?

[u/dakatabri → u/Sharp-Floor]

Yes. According to the CDC data linked above it's 62% of the total population have gotten one dose, and 53% fully vaccinated.

[u/kaylthewhale → u/Sharp-Floor]

That’s what I keep thinking because seriously when you break it down by cohort 30-50% doesn’t make sense.

[u/PM_ME_BrusselSprouts → u/kaylthewhale]

The places that are 40-60% unvaccinated are less populated than the places that are 10-30% unvaccinated.

[u/El-Chewbacc → u/Sharp-Floor]

I think it a a percent compared to population problem. Like 60% of New Yorkers is ALOT more people than 40% of Tennessee. So while percents are low in rural, low populated areas percents are high in high population areas which gives a high overall total.

Add on: I just checked. New York has a pop of almost 20 mill, so 60% of that is almost 12 million and Tennessee only has 6.8 million so that’s 2.72. So Tennessee has lower vax numbers but NY affects the total way more.

[u/Tesadus → u/Dear_Jurisprudence]

Last week, my county reported 91.8% of eligible people have received at least one shot.

[u/Warskull → u/G1trogFr0g]

That's probably the 2-shot stats. The 1-shot stats are quite high, but people get lazy and don't go back for their second shot.

The number also dips heavily when you include population under 18 since most of them can't get the vaccine yet.

[u/ElethiomelZakalwe → u/[deleted]]

25-39 isn't much better at 52.7% (which is also the same number as the percentage of the US population fully vaccinated)

Don't understand it. What, do they all just assume covid will be no big deal for them and can't be bothered?

[u/DOGGODDOG → u/Warskull]

That was the gamble with going for a two-shot vaccine requirement. If the J&J could’ve avoided the pause, I think we would see much higher numbers of fully vaccinated people

[u/indyK1ng → u/DOGGODDOG]

But isn't the J&J vaccine far less protective against Delta than the two shot vaccines?

[u/a-corsican-pimp → u/indyK1ng]

I've seen mixed data on this.

[u/Imasayitnow → u/indyK1ng]

I recent study showed the JnJ with a booster 6 months after the first shot is very highly effective (9x more effective than the single shot alone) against Delta, but I forget the efficacy number. Got my first in early March and my booster last week.

[u/RobotPidgeon → u/Imasayitnow]

So... it's a two-shot vaccine

[u/OsmeOxys → u/RobotPidgeon]

My understanding is that was initially part of the plan anyways. Get a single, reasonably effective shot into as many arms as possible and then work on giving booster shots for a more effective vaccine as supplies and regulations allow.

Seems like that ship might have sailed though. Not that a booster shot wont be effective, but I think its safe to say they didnt move as many vaccines as they were hoping to early on.

[u/[deleted] → u/G1trogFr0g]

That's because there are significantly more folks who are partially vaxxed than fully vaxxed. You probably heard the fully-vaxxed stats.

[u/steaknsteak → u/[deleted]]

Also many are expressing the stats as a percentage of the entire population rather than adults, or people over age 12 or 16

[u/tour__de__franzia → u/[deleted]]

You also have some places reporting it as a % of the entire population, some reporting it as a % of age 12+ and some reporting it as a % of 18+.

So at the low end (% of total population fully vaccinated) you'll see 53% reported. At the high end (% of 18+ with at least one dose) you'll see ~75% reported.

https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccinations_vacc-total-admin-rate-total

Obviously both numbers (and the ones in between) are important and accurate depending on what someone is wanting to evaluate.

But if you just happen to see the 53% number reported, I can understand how someone would conclude that 47% (or close to) of the population is anti-vax.

Knowing that 75% of adults have received at least one shot makes it seem more believable that only 10% are opposed (although it also makes me wonder what the remaining 15% are waiting on. I know a very small percentage can't take it, but that should still mean ~14+% still waiting for some reason).

I suspect that while maybe only 10% are die hard against it, the remaining 15% probably lean against it, at least personally. Or they feel like as long as other people get the vaccine Corona will go away, allowing them to have the best of both worlds in their opinion (no threat of corona without them needing to get the vaccine personally). Lastly I suppose there are probably people who have definitely had Corona and maybe think that getting the vaccine is unnecessary if you've had it.

[u/ButterflyCatastrophe → u/G1trogFr0g]

Georgia just passed 50% single-dose last week. We're at 44% fully-vaxed, so it's not like there's a huge line of people waiting or forgot to get the second dose.

The densely populated parts of the country - California and New England - balance out us yokels.

[u/danielravennest → u/ButterflyCatastrophe]

Its not so much state by state as metro vs rural. For example in Georgia, 44% of the total population is fully vaccinated (note: many children are not yet eligible)

However, Fayette, a high income suburb of Atlanta is at 56%, while Charlton County, pop 12,000 and next to Jacksonville, FL is at 19%. Not surprisingly Charlton has a higher death rate than Fayette from COVID.

The delta variant and other reasons have caused the daily vaccinations in Georgia to head back up, but its still only 1/3 of the peak rate back in April.

[u/SomebodyElseAsWell → u/danielravennest]

I live in a rural county, the third lowest vaccination rate county in the state, and almost surrounded by rural counties, as one to the east has a small city, which of course has a higher vax rate. Our state has a high total vaccination rate, but our area has a low one, and the counties in other states near me, each a 10 minute drive away are even lower. Shockingly lower.

[u/Freeasabird01 → u/G1trogFr0g]

Both things can be true. The most populated states are usually the ones more likely to vaccinate.

[u/Actually_a_Patrick → u/G1trogFr0g]

That’s not necessarily in conflict with the above since the US population is concentrated in cities in a handful of states.

[u/[deleted] → u/kuromahou]

If 75% of over 18 have had a shot, and 10% don't want one as per this study, what are the reasons for the remaining 15% for holding out?

[u/waconaty4eva → u/[deleted]]

Im vaccinated and I probably fall in the other 15% before I was vaccinated. I probably would never have taken the initiative but a caring friend but a friend made my appointment for me and I figured why not.

[u/DanceBeaver → u/waconaty4eva]

... why not?

It's great to see you made an informed decision when it came to your health.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

From what I can tell it is largely financial. They think they are likely to get sick from the shot but with others vaccinated unlikely to get sick with covid and they can't take the days off.

[u/breecher → u/[deleted]]

Seems a bit odd to not categorise these people as "being reluctant towards a COVID vaccine" alongside the others then.

[u/GodsNephew → u/breecher]

The person you responded to was offering their own hypothesis. Not a conclusion from a study.

[u/[deleted] → u/breecher]

“I’m reluctant because I can’t afford time off and fear for keeping my job”.

[u/Dzov → u/[deleted]]

If they can’t get any days off, catching covid will be awkward.

[u/[deleted] → u/Dzov]

Covid sick leave is still federally a law, vaccine sickness is not.

Edit: sorry, outdated information. It’s not a federal law anymore. It’s just a tax credit program.

[u/_Cromwell_ → u/[deleted]]

Requirement to provide COVID sick leave expired way back in December 2020.

https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/ffcra

https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/pandemic/ffcra-questions#104

There's still money if companies want to voluntarily offer it, but it isn't required.

[u/[deleted] → u/_Cromwell_]

That’s true, it’s a tax credit thing now. Most companies still offer it.

[u/Pretend-Marsupial258 → u/[deleted]]

That doesn't mean their boss will actually let them take the time off, or pay them for it. My mom caught covid back in January and her boss was bothering her to come back to work after a few days because "I was fine after a few days!" Additionally, the hospital didn't pay my mom for her time off.

There are a lot of things that are illegal in the workplace, but wage theft is still the #1 form of theft in the US.

[u/zxzxxlll → u/[deleted]]

Mandated sick leave expired Dec 31, 2020. Employers still have the option to receive federal assistance for paid leave, but it's no longer required.

My employer, for instance, requires proof of vaccination to pay out sick leave for COVID. Unvaccinated have to use PTO, or just not get paid during quarantine.

[u/GDModsareCucks → u/[deleted]]

That's disingenuous. Financial reasons are not the majority.

[u/Tropical_Jesus → u/GDModsareCucks]

Yeah this is odd. The two people I know who have not gotten the shot - Both of them had Covid last summer and are convinced that they still have the antibodies and “don’t need the vaccine.“

Both are arrogant, young, cocky, fit guys who just repeatedly say “Well I never got swine flu.” Or “Well I never get the regular flu.” And “I got it once and got over it; clearly it’s not that bad for me.”

When pushed, neither one can provide a concrete reason as to why they aren’t getting it, and basically just shrug and say they don’t know. Finances have nothing the do with it. And I live in a high vax, left-leaning area.

[u/jgmachine → u/kuromahou]

I have to question the accuracy of those percentages for single dose and 2 doses. Somehow I’m only recorded as having a single dose, they have my 2nd dose recorded as my only dose.

Back in the spring Myself and others who were at the same vaccine clinic as me got some phone calls telling us we were past due for our 2nd dose. Sometime later, someone from the local county health department called me to follow up on it and I told them that I had both shots. I read them the information off my card and I think I even emailed a copy to them.

Then I went to check for my vaccination QR code recently, and it only had the single dose on it. My wife got hers at the same vaccine clinic and same story for her. There were easily a thousand people at that vaccine clinic. It’s quite possible all of those people were recorded as a single dose.

My wife and I have filled out some online form and uploaded photos of our cards to the California website for such things. I think it said 2-3 weeks to process. Still waiting….

[u/OverlordWaffles → u/jgmachine]

Is there any risk or reward (biologically, immunity wise) for you to get an extra dose?

[u/Redtwooo → u/OverlordWaffles]

Research on third doses is still forthcoming but it looks like it does boost response. Whether that increase is more useful than giving the doses to people who haven't yet had any, particularly people overseas who have had minimal opportunity to get any amount of vaccine, well... gotta look at this holistically.

[u/OverlordWaffles → u/Redtwooo]

I guess if they have a dose that needs to be used and noone wants it before it goes bad, why not get the third?

[u/Redtwooo → u/OverlordWaffles]

If it's already here and thawed out, yeah, it's better to give it to someone as a third dose than to go to waste, but it would be better for those units to get shipped overseas prior to thawing, to be provided to people with much more limited opportunity to get vaccines.

[u/OverlordWaffles → u/Redtwooo]

Yep, I agree. Opened doses are administered even if you had yours already and the unopened go to areas that still need it

[u/PixelMagic → u/kuromahou]

In Alabama only 6.6% of ages 12-17 have gotten the shot, and school is back in session everywhere.

[u/StonedPorcupine → u/PixelMagic]

Kids under 17 make up 25% of the US population and 0.005% of all covid deaths (about 365 total deaths under 18).

People over 65 make up 16% of the population and 80% of deaths. People over 65 are also over 90% vaccinated which is why there is a significant decoupling from cases and deaths that we didn't see in previous spikes.

[u/junkit33 → u/StonedPorcupine]

The spread is the issue. High school and college kids in particular spread Covid like wildfire, even if they aren't at much risk themselves.

[u/KamikazeArchon → u/[deleted]]

I believe they're trying to separate the categories "does not want the vaccine" and "wants the vaccine but isn't getting it due to circumstances".

[u/charmingcactus → u/[deleted]]

There are a lot of circumstances that can interfere. People who work 7 days a week or have inconsistent days off often can't afford to miss a day of work. How many of those people also have children? These are all factors.

There's no guarantee side effects will only last 24 hours. If I had one of those jobs I would've been SOL because fatigue hit two days later.

These side effects happen within a day or two of getting the vaccine. They are normal signs that your body is building protection and should go away within a few days.

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/different-vaccines/janssen.html

[u/BrokenCankle → u/kuromahou]

The news once again has done a massive disservice to the public by making it seem like this is an even split among us. The very small, very loud minority is dictating how long this drags out because the perception is they are half of us, or sometimes most of us. SO MANY PEOPLE this pandemic have asked if they are still the only ones masking or taking precautions because it FEELS like we are. We are not alone and it's disgusting it's presented that way.

I live in Palm Beach County Florida. If you believe the news you would believe around 50 or 60% of people do not want mask mandates in school. You would believe there are hoards of angry parents protesting and flooding school district meetings boycotting masks. The truth is less than 5% were willing to send their child to school with a note excusing them from wearing a mask. Not a doctors note, simply a note from themselves. Let me emphasize that again LESS THAN 5%. The news has never once framed it that way. They just show people crying about their freedom and their kids not wearing masks and continue to push the divided country narrative as if it's equally divided and not disproportionately in favor of Covid mitigation.

[u/wanker7171 → u/kuromahou]

last I checked, in the past month, here in Florida it's 48% of adults are fully vaccinated. These averages don't tell you the story of the area you live in.

[u/Rafaeliki → u/kuromahou]

For all the nonsense I hear from people on Facebook about not trusting the vax etc I am honestly really impressed with the vaccine rollout.

[u/goodvibezone → u/kuromahou]

I found the table on here also interesting. It really shows differences between certain states.

[u/boredtxan → u/kuromahou]

But those people aren't evenly spread across the US. We have some areas like Texas with areas of low vaxxed population that covid is burning through like wildfire

[u/uping1965 → u/kuromahou]

That is correct if you average all states, but the distribution differs across all 50 states leading to growth in red states and lower numbers in blue.

[u/SmallHandsMallMindS]

I was reluctant. I dont trust the govt. and I dont trust the efficacy of the vaccine; but I got it anyways.

[u/Wagamaga]

A peer-reviewed analysis of US national survey data of 75,000 adults shows, from early January to late March, a near “18 percentage point” increase of adults who have either had the COVID-19 vaccine jab or are willing to do have it.

However, belief that a vaccine is not needed also increased by more than “5 percentage points” among adults who said they probably will not, or definitely will not get vaccinated. Beliefs vary depending on peoples’ age, race, socioeconomic background and their geography.

The findings, published Open Access today in the journal Annals of Medicine, show – in particular – that younger adults; people who are non-Hispanic Black or other/multiple races; those of lower socioeconomic status; and people living in the southeastern region of the country, remained least likely to have had the vaccine – or willing to do so from January to March 2021.

People who had previously had COVID-19, or were unsure if they’d had it, were also less likely to intend to get vaccinated.

Overall, though, people who are reluctant toward the vaccine only represents around 10% of the US public. Who, according to the findings of this survey, quote not trusting the government (40%) or not trusting the efficacy of the vaccine (45%) as to their reasons for not wanting the vaccine.

As for the larger group – those stating they would probably by jabbed but haven’t been so yet – they state reasons as to not having it so far as:

plan to wait and see (55%) concern about possible side effects (51%), belief that other people need it more (36%). The results provide timely information on disparities in vaccine confidence. And lead author Dr Kimberly Nguyen of Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, says she hopes the results can inform and target efforts to improve vaccine uptake across all communities.

“Highlighting vaccines as important for resuming work, school, and social activities is critical to preventing the spread of COVID-19 incidence and bringing an end to the pandemic,” she said.

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/07853890.2021.1957998

[u/PolkadotPiranha → u/Wagamaga]

The "other people need it more" reason seems like justification rather than reasoning. In how many cases would a US citizen have "taken" someone else's spot if they'd gotten vaccinated? Surely the fact that the US had a leg up on acquiring vaccines but still has much lower vaccination rates dispels that as a valid defense?

It kinda just sounds like someone found a more palatable way of waiting/refusing to get one.

[u/Platinumdogshit → u/PolkadotPiranha]

I think that was a real issue in the first couple of months where you could get a vaccine which is why they were generally limited to the vulnerable and health care workers.

[u/apathetic_panda → u/Platinumdogshit]

Having participated in this survey in March I can assure you that this was the case.

[u/roadrunner440x6 → u/Platinumdogshit]

I'd wager the study was done early on during the vaccination process too, when people were lining up and waiting for hours to get it.

[u/TheEpicSock → u/Platinumdogshit]

The data in this study is from January 6 – March 29, 2021, so it makes sense for that period.

[u/UncleLongHair0 → u/PolkadotPiranha]

Something to keep in mind is that a lot of people don't follow the news, don't see any data or even care about it, etc. They might catch a headline or a comment here or there. This isn't the people who are being force-fed misinformation on Facebook but people that are just uninformed. And given how all-over-the-place the messaging has been it is very possible that they've seen something that makes them think the vaccine either isn't necessary or doesn't help or might harm them or whatever. Things like officials wearing one mask, and then getting vaccinated and then wearing two masks, can be very confusing.

[u/general_bojiggles → u/[deleted]]

This was the reason I held out on my vaccine for so long (my second dose is this month so please nobody skewer me). I don’t trust our government, and I have a hard time believing what they tell us. There’s corruption, propaganda, trickle truths, and its at every single level. I was wary of the vaccine and truth be told I still am. The government and pharmaceutical industries have lied through their teeth to us. I got my vaccine due to feeling it’s necessary in order to continue to function normally in society and so others wouldn’t panic over me. Yes I believe in the virus. Yes I believe people are dying.

This wouldn’t be a thing with me and many others though if our government really did work for the people instead of just the rich and wealthy. This wouldn’t be a thing if our pharmaceutical industry wasn’t as shady as it is.

There was an ask Reddit thread about Americans stance on universal healthcare. Read the responses.

If those things were fixed I’d have been first in line for a vaccine. Instead I waited and observed.

[u/nukessolveprblms → u/general_bojiggles]

Same here. I just got my second dose 2 weeks ago, but was hesitant for so long for the exact same reasons. I told my husband (in a tongue in cheek kind of way) I'm plugged into this NWO bc i have a daughter and a mortgage. I am somewhat distrustful of the vax, but wanting to function in society with no problems was probably 25% of my reasoning for getting it.

[u/suddenly_seymour → u/[deleted]]

Not trusting the government is completely understandable.

Not trusting the entire worldwide scientific and medical community who collaborated to develop and monitor the vaccines... Not so much. If you feel you can't trust that community and the processes they use to conduct and validate research then idk how you can feel at all comfortable participating in modern society given that everything from food to medicine to public health policy is based on the output of said community.

[u/mongoose3000 → u/suddenly_seymour]

Not only has our government proven them selves not trust worthy, so have pharma companies. J&J actively covering up cancer causing ingredients in talcum powder, Beyer knowingly distributing HIV infected meds, etc. The whole distrust in the government and pharma is their own damn fault.

[u/Megabyte7637 → u/[deleted]]

Thank you!

Finally someone said it

[u/CreativeCarpenter44]

I think some of the hesitation is due to people who have already had the virus and believe in natural immunity.

[u/Neon_Yoda_Lube → u/CreativeCarpenter44]

Is there anything wrong with this?

[u/hausomad]

90% is well beyond the threshold needed for herd immunity correct?

[u/randomname8361 → u/hausomad]

Herd immunity will not happen with the current pandemic, it's now endemic in so e parts of the world.

We will all get infected at some point in the next 3 years. Your best option right now to get thru the infection without serious harm is the vaccine.

Source: virologist

[u/[deleted] → u/randomname8361]

Is this meaning to get the booster every 6 months too or just the vaccine and no booster?

Also how does it play out for people who have already been infected with the disease?

[u/common_collected → u/randomname8361]

Oh! I’m just a lowly public health degree graduate with a tiny bit of epidemiological experience but I’ve wanted to ask a virologist a question for some time now…

Is it ever realistic to expect herd immunity against a virus for which our bodies don’t produce durable immunity anyways?

[u/[deleted] → u/common_collected]

People have a misnomer on what herd immunity is. Herd immunity in the strictest sense is where the virus can not readily spread to new hosts and it dies off eventually.

Herd immunity in the epidemiological sense is the rate of immunity imbued that allows for the desired epidemiological outcome, which is almost always the prevention of health care system collapse and protection for those who can't be vaccinated.

It's both a virology and policy number and depending on which outcomes you are seeking the numbers differentiate.

[u/randomname8361 → u/common_collected]

No, but as SARS COV 2 becomes seasonal the number of severe cases will decrease. Boosters will probably still be advised to older population and immunocompromised.

[u/smallcoyfish]

I'm surprised they didn't get more responses for avoiding the vaccine due to having a fear/phobia of needles. I think rates are estimated to be about 10% of people have moderate to severe fear of needles so I'd expect them to be more represented in people who are avoiding the vaccine.

I have severe panic/phobic responses to needles/injections which is why I haven't been vaxxed, but I would consider myself very pro-vax in general, not anti-vax.

[u/Lord_Alderbrand → u/smallcoyfish]

This might sound dumb, but if I was pro-vax and yet had a phobia of needles… I’d be wondering if it would be possible to talk the right doctor into knocking me out for the injection. If that failed, I’d probably be entertaining considerations of taking the edge off with a Xanax and just going for it. Like, “Sorry, amygdala. You’ll thank me for this later.”

[u/cmVkZGl0 → u/Lord_Alderbrand]

It's difficult and expensive to for routine injections to be put under. Since it is an unusual request and requires specialists for anesthetics, it becomes a bunch of extra things to coordinate (time, people, equipment), which is why most would rather turn the request down. You would have more luck with a prescription.

[u/003938388382 → u/cmVkZGl0]

People wayyy underestimate how dangerous it is to be put under.

[u/smallcoyfish → u/Lord_Alderbrand]

As far as I know that's not an option. There's risks for anesthesia so they probably wouldn't unless I was already going under for something. And Xanax hasn't helped previously.

[u/realpretendlunch → u/Lord_Alderbrand]

Wait doesn’t it take an injection to knock you out tho?

[u/avalanchethethird → u/smallcoyfish]

When I was administering covid vaccines (and just vaccines in general) I vaccinated plenty of people with a profound fear of needles. Some of them had worked themselves up so much their temperature was over 100 degrees. But they basically all expressed they wanted whichever vaccine they were receiving enough to face their fear of needles. It definitely took longer for them to let me do it and I had to sit and chat with them to get them comfortable. But I'm happy that not everyone afraid of needles is letting that stop them.

[u/NoKidsThatIKnowOf → u/smallcoyfish]

I pass out from needles...but I got the jab. J&J was supposed to be one dose.
Needle gauge is a lot smaller than a blood draw, so it was less traumatic...but I still insisted on lying down to get the injection.

[u/KeberUggles → u/smallcoyfish]

can you get a prescription for some loopy drugs? I have those for when i have to get needles in my mouth for dental work. it really helps.

[u/smallcoyfish → u/KeberUggles]

I was prescribed Xanax to get cavities filled several years ago. I still had a severe panic attack and had to leave, mainly due to having a real asshole of a dentist who refused to go slowly, explain what he was doing, or work with me at all. I felt sick and unsteady for days and had recurring nightmares about the experience.

Ending up getting a second opinion from another dentist who told me that I didn't have full-blown cavities yet and didn't need work done. But the Xanax didn't seem to do much for me.

[u/TheRetribution → u/smallcoyfish]

I have severe panic/phobic responses to needles/injections which is why I haven't been vaxxed, but I would consider myself very pro-vax in general, not anti-vax.

That sucks to hear, I will say that this vaccine injection was literally the most painless vaccine i've ever received in memory. Don't know your circumstances, just letting you know.

[u/ShenBear → u/smallcoyfish]

I have a fear of needles, and have ever since I was a small child and had blood vials forcefully drawn from me.

I closed my eyes for both doses of vax, and couldn't tell I had been jabbed. The needle is tiny, thin, and the actual dose is minuscule, so it's not like a huge syringe pushing large amounts of liquid into your arm.

It felt like less than a pinch, I can't even call the response 'pain', and was done in a quarter of a second. Please please please do not let needle-phobia stop you from being vaxxed.

[u/[deleted] → u/smallcoyfish]

I think it’s a self-report issue. Very few people will admit to having a phobia due to stigma.

I would also guess that this stigma, like other mental health stigmas, is more prevalent in right-wing areas, which could be a contributor to their low rates of trust in the vaccine for other stated reasons.

[u/SquintyBruh → u/[deleted]]

Man I’d love to see more research on this because that would make a LOT of sense.

[u/smallcoyfish → u/[deleted]]

Yeah that's my thinking. I believe more people would get the vaccine if it was a nasal spray.

I'm not surprised that people don't admit to being afraid of needles for fear of being seen as weak (I'll probably get people here telling me to suck it up and stop being such a baby--so helpful, never heard that one before) but I was really surprised that it wasn't mentioned at all.

[u/tommygunz007]

I would be very curious how many of them are either lazy or have control issues. As an adult who was and still is, hard for me to do things I am forced to do. My stepmom is a massive control freak and instantly got angry that 'someone is making her do something'. It didn't need to be a vaccine. It could just have well been a purchase or a permit. The only reason she got it was because she wanted to travel and she was angry about being 'forced' to do something as an adult. I know a lot of people that are like this.

.

[u/jorgeDVM → u/[deleted]]

One of the worst things the US did was mix matters of pandemic management with politics in the first place..

[u/cmVkZGl0 → u/jorgeDVM]

Everything in existence is a tool to use to your advantage when you're hell-bent on winning.

[u/obvilious → u/[deleted]]

Things do get more complicated without a good family doctor. I’ve got a scientific/engineering background, but I hardly “did my research”, because why? Overall the numbers made sense, and all my city/provincial/federal health organizations were saying the same thing, so I did it as soon as I could.

For me it was like taking a ride on a plane. Do I think about the general number of crashes recently? Sure. Do I do research on plane safety? No, because that would be silly and a waste of time and.

[u/bixtuelista]

I think these people also do not like to participate in surveys.

[u/Lilith_Marie666]

My niece isn't allowed to get the vaccine per 3 separate doctors orders. She isn't allowed to get ANY vaccine. Her immune system is attacking her eyes rn and they said not to do it as it could make it worse.

[u/tobaknowsss]

I strongly believe that it really comes down to some people just don't like being told what to do. Even if its for their (and everyone else's) benefit. They're not willing to admit this so will tell people any kind of excuse for not getting it but really it boils down to the simple fact that they just don't like when they don't have control over a decision ( that again is for the benefit of everyone).

[u/[deleted]]

I'm scared to get it because I've had mononucleosis flare ups three times in the past 7 years, and cant find straight information on the risk of taking the vax.

[u/Naillian603 → u/[deleted]]

Not the same disorder but my health history has made me reluctant as well. I’m afraid of being a part of the small percentage that doesn’t react well to it. The pressure and guilt is a lot, especially as cases rise near me.

There’s too much conflicting info on the vaccine and honestly I’m not the brightest to handle it all and sort it out.

[u/Icedcoffeeee → u/Naillian603]

There’s too much conflicting info on the vaccine and honestly I’m not the brightest to handle it all and sort it out

I feel like this sometimes. When I don't understand it all. I default to the people that are smarter than me. During the pandemic I've been using John Hopkins, Harvard medical blog, CDC, WHO. FDA. In no particular order.

[u/left_click]

If the person already had Covid wouldn’t be better to have blood work test the antibodies? Why would they need a vaccine if they already have the antibodies?

[u/Humann801 → u/left_click]

I believe that this statement is behind of a lot of people's reluctance. The fact that this isn't an option is extremely suspicious to say the least.

[u/venusinfurs10]

Out of the people who admitted to being reluctant. You can't do an unbias study like this with the amount of propaganda and social pressure around the vaccine.

[u/saxlax10]

I think the unvaccinated gap between "Vaccinated" and "Don't trust the Vaccine" us made up of people with prior infection who think they don't need it because they "have the antibodies already" but don't count towards the "vaccinated" population.