POLL: Four in 10 Republicans 'definitely' won't get COVID-19 vaccine

More than four in 10 Republicans say they will “definitely not” get a COVID-19 vaccine, according to a new poll from the Kaiser Family Foundation.

In the survey, 41% of Republicans will reject the vaccine completely, while 36% of independents also will. Among Democrats, just 11% declared they won't get vaccinated.

Asked if they would get the vaccine "as soon as possible," 43% of Democrats, 27% of independents and 20% of Republicans said yes.

Meanwhile, when asked if they would "wait and see" to see how the vaccine works or whether they would take it "only if required," the answers broke down like this:

• Republicans – 50%
• Democrats – 51%
• Independents – 68%

In addition, 33% of respondents 18-49 said they "definitely" or "probably" won't get a vaccine, which on Monday became available in the U.S.

Among people 30-49, 36% said they won't get the vaccine, while 35% of people living in rural areas said so, too.

Fifty-five percent of those saying they won't not take the vaccine cited doubt that the government would make sure the vaccine is safe. Fifty-three percent said they were concerned the drug has not been tested enough. And 51% said they were worried that the development process of vaccines was too politicized.

The most cited reason to not take the vaccine – 59% – was fear of severe side effects.

Among black adults, 35% say they definitely or probably will not get the vaccine. Forty-seven percent of black respondents cited general distrust of vaccines, with another 50% saying they are worried they might get the virus from if they take the vaccine.

The poll did find that the number of people who say they will “definitely” or “probably” get the vaccine is rising.

And 71% said they would definitely or probably get the vaccine, an increase from 63% when the survey was taken in September.

Three vaccines are currently in the works. Pfizer won emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration last week, and its vaccine already be distributed. 

Moderna is the second pharmaceutical company to request FDA emergency approval. That vaccine could be approved as early as this week. The Moderna vaccine was developed in conjunction with the Trump administration’s Operation Warp Speed.

A key advantage of Moderna’s vaccine is that it does not need sub-zero storage like Pfizer’s, which needs to be stored at -94 degrees.

A third vaccine is also in the pipeline. AstraZeneca and Oxford University on Nov. 23 said their jointly created COVID-19 vaccine has proven to be up to 90% effective and the makers claims will be easier to distribute.

The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices on Dec. 2 voted to direct that healthcare workers and residents of long-term care facilities will be the first to get the shots in the initial rollout. The recommendation was approved CDC Director Robert Redfield, but governors will eventually have the final say on who gets the vaccine first.