Americans seem to have reservations about being first in line for any approved vaccination for COVID-19, according to a recent Axios-Ipsos poll.
The poll showed only 13 percent of Americans would be willing to take the vaccine upon rollout. Joe Biden and his running mate, Senator Kamala Harris, have raised suspicions about the reliability of any vaccine rolled out before the election.
President Trump and his campaign see an effective vaccine as a major boost to his reelection prospects. In May, President Trump announced “Operation Warp Speed,” which he compared to the U.S.’s race for the atomic bomb. The Associated Press reported once there is a viable vaccine, Trump said he would employ “every plane, truck and soldier” to distribute doses.
News website STAT reported that many Democrats have indicated a swift vaccine approval would be politically motivated by the White House. Harris said she would not trust a vaccine under Trump. Biden agreed with his running mate.
“I trust vaccines,” he said. “I trust the scientists, but I don’t trust Donald Trump.”
Politico reported that Trump called out Biden for “recklessly endangering lives.” Trump said, “I am calling on Biden to stop promoting his anti-vaccine theories.”
Dr. Robert Redfield, Head of the CDC, told a Senate committee last week that the U.S. is still relatively far off from a vaccine and said it could take up to July 2021 before the public is completely vaccinated. Vaccines are currently undergoing human trials.
The Axios-Ipsos poll showed there has been a rise in suspicions about taking a vaccine. Most of those polled, about 30 percent, said they would wait for the vaccine to be released and wait a few months before taking it themselves.
One interesting element about the poll was those who considered themselves to be independents seemed to be unmoved by the recent bickering between Republicans and Democrats. They saw a two-point percentage drop, to 43 percent, in those who are likely to try a vaccine as soon as one is available.
TREND FORECAST: As we have noted, from nations’ capitols across the globe to Wall Street, the word is that until a COVID vaccine is made available to the public, there will be no strong economic rebound.
Therefore, the faster the vaccine hits the Main Street, we forecast resistance to get vaccinated will decrease as the major media and politicians promote getting vaccinated as the only way to win the COVID War, with virtually no mention of building up one’s immune system and getting healthy.
Governments will impose educational and other restrictions on all those who refuse to get vaccinated, just as they have done in many states and nations prior to the coronavirus.
