If and when a COVID-19 vaccine becomes available, would you get it? If not, you are in the minority, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll.

About 7 in 10 Americans say they would get a vaccine to protect against the novel coronavirus if immunizations were free and available to everyone, according to the poll.

The question comes against the backdrop of the latest statistics from the California Department of Public Health. The Department announced Wednesday, June 3, the most recent statistics on COVID-19. California now has 117,687 confirmed cases and 4,361 deaths.

The nationwide poll found that a majority of people of all political affiliations are interested in receiving such a vaccine. The extent of that interest varies along partisan lines, with slightly more than 8 in 10 Democrats saying they would definitely or probably get vaccinated, compared with slightly fewer than 6 in 10 Republicans. Independents fall in between.

The Post-ABC poll also shows that Americans’ eagerness to get vaccinated is heavily tied to the depth of their fear of being infected with the potentially lethal virus. Overall, 63% say they are very or somewhat worried they or a member of their immediate family might catch the virus that causes covid-19, while 35 percent say they are less worried. But among those who are worried, 81% say they are likely to get vaccinated, compared with 52% of those who are not as worried.

The fact that 71% of Americans are interested in getting a COVID-19 vaccine comes as President Trump has established a goal for millions of doses to be available by the end of the year — even though such a vaccine does not yet exist. Many scientists have said such an ambitious time frame is unrealistic.

According to the New York Times, the Trump administration has selected five companies as the most likely candidates to produce a vaccine for the coronavirus.

The five companies are Moderna, a Massachusetts-based biotechnology firm, which Dr. Fauci said he expected would enter into the final phase of clinical trials next month; the combination of Oxford University and AstraZeneca, on a similar schedule; and three large pharmaceutical companies: Johnson & Johnson, Merck and Pfizer. Each is taking a somewhat different approach.

 

 

Image Sources

  • Vaccine: Pixaby