UMass survey: 40% of Americans might not take coronavirus vaccine

Photo | Grant Welker UMass Medical School in Worcester

Write a Comment

Results from a national survey released by the UMass Medical School could indicate reaching herd immunity to the coronavirus through vaccinations could be harder than hoped.

As many as four in 10 American adults said they'd refuse or hesitate to get a vaccination, according to a survey by the Worcester school in collaboration with the Meyers Primary Care Institute, which is a joint endeavor of the medical school, Reliant Medical Group and Fallon Health.

The results are largely consistent with another survey's results released in August in which 66% of Americans said they would likely get a vaccine. Massachusetts, at 71%, was 10th highest nationally, according to the report by researchers at Northeastern University, Harvard University, Northwestern University and Rutgers University.

In the UMass Medical School study, those who said they weren't sure about getting vaccinated most often said they were concerned about safety, effectiveness or the unknown of a new vaccine, Dr. Kimberly Fisher, an associate professor of medicine, who co-led the study, said in a statement announcing the results.

Among those who said they wouldn't get a vaccine, reasons included anti-vaccine beliefs, she said.

"A focused communication strategy targeting those who are not sure may be more productive than trying to convince people who hold negative views," Fisher said.

The study, which was published Sept. 7 in the Annals of Internal Medicine, included nearly 1,000 respondents. Co-leading the study with Fisher was Kathleen Mazor, a professor of medicine at UMass Medical School.