Omicron So Far Isn’t Persuading Most U.S. Adults To Get Vaccinated Or Booster Shot, Poll Finds
Topline
The omicron variant up to now has no impact on a majority of U.S. adults’ willingness to get the Covid-19 vaccine or a booster shot, a brand new Axios/Ipsos poll finds, regardless of early proof suggesting the third shot is essential for shielding in opposition to an infection from the brand new pressure.
Individuals line up outdoors a Covid-19 vaccination web site on December 3 in Washington, D.C.
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Key Info
The ballot, performed December 10-13 amongst 993 U.S. adults, discovered 67% of unvaccinated respondents say the omicron variant makes no distinction of their resolution of whether or not to get vaccinated, whereas 19% say it makes them extra seemingly and 11% say it makes them much less seemingly.
Amongst vaccinated respondents who haven’t but gotten a booster shot, 59% mentioned the omicron makes no distinction of their resolution of whether or not to get the third dose, whereas 36% mentioned it makes them extra seemingly and 5% mentioned it makes them much less seemingly.
When requested what crucial purpose is for them to get a booster shot, solely 5% of vaccinated respondents cited their fear concerning the omicron variant, whereas a 40% plurality mentioned they might get or had gotten the booster as a result of it makes extreme illness from Covid-19 much less seemingly.
Solely 9% of vaccinated respondents mentioned they don’t plan to get a booster shot.
Huge Quantity
29.2%. That’s the proportion of U.S. adults which have up to now gotten a booster shot, according to the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention.
Tangent
The Axios/Ipsos ballot additionally discovered the share of respondents who imagine varied actions pose a danger goes up in gentle of omicron, with extra adults saying now that it’s dangerous to journey on an airplane (68%), collect with buddies or household outdoors of their family (49%) or return to their “regular pre-Covid life” (52%) than in November (when 58%, 38% and 44% mentioned the identical, respectively). That being mentioned, a 47% plurality nonetheless imagine that seeing family and friends for the vacations poses solely a small danger, and 72% plan to see individuals outdoors their family over the vacations.
Key Background
Whereas a lot nonetheless stays unknown concerning the omicron variant, which has now been detected in 30 states, consultants have raised fears about it probably evading vaccine safety given the variant’s excessive variety of mutations. Early research have suggested an preliminary vaccine collection of two doses might present drastically decrease safety in opposition to an infection, however nonetheless has robust safety in opposition to extreme illness, with a real-world research from South Africa launched Monday discovering two doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine gives 33% safety in opposition to an infection and 70% in opposition to hospitalization. The photographs’ obvious diminishing effectiveness in opposition to omicron has ramped up calls from public well being consultants for individuals to get booster photographs, as research have instructed the boosters present extra substantial safety from an infection, and BioTech CEO Uğur Şahin mentioned the Pfizer/BioNTech shot must be thought of a three-dose vaccine routine in opposition to omicron. A research from the U.Okay. Well being Safety Company discovered booster photographs resulted in between 70% and 75% safety from gentle Covid-19 signs, whereas early lab knowledge from Pfizer and BioNTech discovered a booster shot offered comparable safety to what two vaccine doses present in opposition to the unique “wild kind” pressure of the coronavirus with out mutations.
Additional Studying
As Omicron spreads, perceptions of risk around certain activities on the rise again (Ipsos)
Pfizer Shot Simply 33% Efficient Towards Omicron An infection, However Largely Prevents Extreme Illness, South Africa Examine Finds (Forbes)
Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 Booster ‘Neutralizes’ Omicron Variant, Corporations Say (Forbes)
Covid Booster Shot Will increase Vaccine Effectiveness To 71%-75% Towards Omicron, U.Okay. Scientists Say (Forbes)
Will Omicron Change What ‘Absolutely Vaccinated’ Means? BioNTech CEO Says Full Vaccine Routine Towards Variant Is 3 Doses, Not 2. (Forbes)
Omicron likely to weaken COVID vaccine protection (Nature)
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