Nearly four in ten (37 percent) Americans who have not received a COVID-19 vaccine are hesitant to do so, a report from the African American Research Collaborative and the Commonwealth Fund finds.

Based on a survey of more than twelve thousand Americans conducted between May 7 and June 7, the American COVID-19 Vaccine Poll found that among the more than thirty-five hundred unvaccinated respondents, 41.1 percent of African-American, 39.9 percent of Native American, 39.8 percent of Latinx, 36.8 percent of white, and 23.4 percent of Asian-American/Pacific Islander respondents said they were hesitant to get a vaccine. The most commonly cited reasons were that the Johnson & Johnson vaccine could cause blood clots (40.2 percent), they had a personal right to opt out of receiving the vaccine (30 percent), and the vaccines could make people sick (28.7 percent). Hesitancy rates were higher among respondents earning less than $50,000 a year (45.3 percent), those without a college degree (43.3 percent), and rural residents (45.1 percent).

Supported in part by the Robert Wood Johnson and W.K. Kellogg foundations, the survey found that 27 percent of unvaccinated African-American, 22 percent of Native American, 16 percent of AAPI, 14 percent of Latinx, and 13 percent of white respondents said concerns over discrimination from medical professionals made them less likely to get a COVID-19 vaccine. Nearly two-thirds (66 percent) of all unvaccinated respondents reported facing at least two barriers to getting vaccinated — such as believing they were ineligible, not knowing how to make an appointment, not having time, and not having transportation.

According to the report, 53 percent of those who have yet to be vaccinated prefer to do so at their doctor's office, and the most effective messaging to convince them to get a COVID-19 vaccine is that doing so would help protect the lives of their family, friends, and loved ones (43.5 percent) and that it would help businesses reopen and the economy rebound quickly (37.5 percent).

The report also found that 45 percent of all respondents, both vaccinated and unvaccinated, said they would definitely take an annual COVID-19 booster shot, including 53 percent of AAPI, 46 percent of Latinx, 45 percent of white, 39 percent of African-American, and 37 percent of Native American respondents.

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