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KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor

The KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor dashboard provides an overview of the findings on several key topics highlighted below

LATEST COVID-19 VACCINE

PARENTS & KIDS

PARTISANSHIP & POLITICS

(MIS)INFORMATION AND TRUST

TAKING PRECAUTIONS

PANDEMIC IMPACTS

LATEST COVID-19 Vaccine

  • Democrats, Older Adults, College Graduates, Among Largest Shares To Have Ever Been Vaccinated

    The COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor finds that around three-quarters of adults say they have ever received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, a share that continues to hold relatively steady since September 2021. Democrats (91%), older adults (91%), and college graduates (88%) continue to report the highest rates of vaccination. Those under the age of 65 without health insurance (61%) and Republicans (66%) continue to report lower COVID-19 vaccine uptake than their counterparts.

  • One In Five Adults Report Having Gotten The Updated COVID-19 Vaccine, Including Larger Shares Of Those Ages 65 And Older

    One in five (20%) adults now say they have received the new, updated COVID-19 vaccine that became available in September. An additional one in four adults say they will “definitely get” (13%) or “probably get” (15%) the updated shot. Consistent with demographic differences across other COVID-related behaviors, uptake is highest among those ages 65 and older (34%) and Democrats (32%). This is in comparison to smaller shares of younger adults ages 18-29 (18%), Republicans (12%) and independents (16%) who report getting the latest vaccine

Majorities Have Heard At Least "A Little" About New COVID-19 Vaccine, Despite Lackluster Uptake

Most adults (79%) say they have heard at least “a little” about the updated COVID-19 vaccine, with one in five (22%) saying they have heard “a lot.” A small share (21%) say they have heard “nothing at all” about the updated vaccine.

Awareness is high across demographic groups, including the vast majority (92%) of adults ages 65 and older who have heard at least “a little” about the updated vaccine compared to a somewhat smaller share, but still a majority, of younger adults, including six in ten of those ages 18 to 29. Larger shares of Democrats are also more aware of the vaccine, with 86% who have heard at least “a little” compared to three-quarters (74%) of Republicans.

Americans’ Attitudes and Experiences with COVID-19 Vaccines: What We’ve Learned from the Vaccine Monitor

The KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor Project has tracked the public’s evolving views about and experiences with the vaccines amid the ongoing pandemic. Our experts shared insights gleaned from nearly 40 Vaccine Monitor reports in a web briefing.
Parents and kids

  • Teenagers Are Most Likely To Have Previously Gotten COVID-19 Vaccine, Smaller Shares Of Parents Of Younger Children

    The COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor has consistently shown COVID-19 vaccine uptake has been higher among older kids, with half of parents of teenagers saying their child has received at least one dose of the vaccine, compared to a quarter of parents of kids between 6 months and 4 years old, and two in five parents of kids between 5 and 11 years old.

  • Over Half Of Parents Say They Won't Get New COVID-19 Vaccine For Their Child

    The new version of the COVID-19 vaccine has been recommended for all children ages 6 months and older and unlike previous COVID-19 vaccines, most parents say they will either “probably not get” or “definitely not get” their child, regardless of age, vaccinated. Six in ten parents of teenagers (those between the ages of 12 and 17) say they will not get their child the new COVID-19 vaccine as do two-thirds of parents of children ages 5 to 11 (64%) and ages 6 months to 4 years old (66%).

  • Most Parents Understand Logistics Of Children's Vaccines, But Some Struggle Understanding Which Vaccines Their Children Should Get And The Costs

    Most parents report that it is easy to understand the logistics of their vaccinations, such as when and where to get the shots and why their child should get vaccinated. Nearly nine in ten (88%) parents say it is easy to know where to go to get their children vaccinated and about three-fourths of parents say the same about why their children should get vaccines in general (78%), when their child should get certain vaccines (77%), or which vaccines their child should get (73%). Two-thirds (68%) say it is easy for them to understand how much they have to pay out-of-pocket for their child’s vaccines. Most insurance coverages require no out-of-pocket costs for recommended vaccines for children.   

  • Large Majorities Of Parents, Regardless Of Partisanship, Keep Their Child's Vaccines Up-To-Date

    Adherence to recommended vaccines is higher among children than adults overall. Nine in ten parents say they normally keep their child or children up-to-date with recommended childhood vaccines, such as the MMR vaccine, while one in ten say they have delayed or skipped some of their child’s vaccines.
    Large majorities of parents, regardless of partisanship, race and ethnicity and income, say they keep their child up-to-date including nearly all Democratic and Democratic-leaning parents (97%) and about nine in ten Republican or Republican-leaning parents.

Majorities Of Parents Of Children Between 6 Months and 4 Years Concerned About Long-Term, Serious Side Effects Of COVID-19 Vaccine In Children

Parents’ worries about side effects and about the newness of the vaccines have been evident throughout the COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor when they explain in their own words why they would not get their young child vaccinated for COVID-19 right away. Parents’ concerns about the efficacy of the vaccine and the feeling that the vaccine is not needed have also been apparent in some of the reasons they give for not vaccinating their young child. Notably, more than four in ten (44%) Black parents of unvaccinated children under 5 years old said they were concerned they might need to take time off work to get their child vaccinated or care for them if they experience side effects. Among Hispanic parents of young unvaccinated children, 45% said they were concerned about being able to get the vaccine for their child from a place they trust and about a third (36%) expressed concern that they might have to pay an out-of-pocket cost to get their child the vaccine.

Perceived Lack Of Research, Potential Side Effects, And Safety Concerns Among The Top Reasons Why Parents Said They Won't Vaccinate Their Young Children

Parents who had not yet vaccinated their eligible children under 5 and did not plan to do so right away when the vaccine was first being recommended to the age group offer many different reasons why they are reluctant to get their child vaccinated. Concerns about the newness of the vaccine and not enough testing or research (19%) emerged as a top reason why parents did not plan to vaccinate their young children as soon as possible. Concerns over side effects (14%) and the overall safety of the vaccines (13%) were also prominent reasons given by parents as to why they did not plan on vaccinating their young child. Some parents (11%) said they did not think their child needed the vaccine or say they were not worried about COVID-19.

Black And Hispanic Parents Were Less Likely Than White Parents To Feel Their Child Was Very Safe From COVID-19 At School

Nearly half of parents with a child in school said they thought their child was “very safe” (44%) from the risk of exposure to COVID-19 when they are at school in April, 2022. An additional 40% thought their child was “somewhat safe”. However, parents who are Black or Hispanic were less likely than White parents to say they felt their child was “very safe” from COVID-19 when they were at school.

Partisanship & POLITICS

Two-Thirds Of Republicans Cite Lack Of Worry Of COVID-19 Infection As Reason For Not Getting Updated Vaccine, Half Of Democrats Say They Have Been Too Busy

Democrats’ top reasons for not getting the updated COVID-19 vaccine suggests there will likely still be additional uptake in this group, while Republicans’ top reasons may indicate more resistance to the latest vaccine. Among those who were previously vaccinated but haven't gotten the new shot, half of Democrats (49%) say being too busy is a “major” or “minor” reason they haven’t gotten the updated vaccine yet, compared to 22% of Republicans and 35% of independents. On the other hand, two-thirds of Republicans (66%) and more than half of independents (57%) say not being worried about getting COVID is at least a minor reason why they have not gotten the updated vaccine, compared to a third of Democrats (35%).

  • Six In Ten Adults Say They Will Get Annual Flu Shot, Including Eight In Ten Older Adults

    Six in ten adults (58%) say they will get a flu shot this year including 2% who say they have already gotten their flu shot. This includes eight in ten adults ages 65 and older, as well as three in four Democrats. Those who report normally getting a flu shot (53% of all adults) are nearly six times as likely as those who do not normally get a flu shot to say they will get it this year. About half of Republicans (51%) and independents (49%) say they will get their annual flu shot or have already gotten it.

  • Majorities Across Groups Are Confident In Vaccine Safety, Except For Republicans When It Comes To COVID-19 Vaccines

    Amidst news of the impending virus season, most adults think that the vaccines developed to combat these viruses are safe. While a majority of adults are confident in the safety of the COVID-19 vaccine (57%), it lags slightly behind confidence in the RSV vaccine (65%) and the flu vaccine (74%). Majorities across age groups, racial and ethnic identities, and partisanship are confident in the safety of all three vaccines – with one notable exception. About one in three Republicans say they are “very confident” or “somewhat confident” in the safety of the COVID-19 vaccine (36%), compared to more than half of Republicans who are confident the RSV vaccine is safe (52%) and nearly two-thirds who are confident in the safety of the flu vaccine (64%).

Compared To 2019, More Adults Said Parents Should Be Able To Decide Not To Vaccinate Their Children For Measles, Mumps, And Rubella In Winter, 2022

There has been a notable decrease since 2019 in the share of adults who say “healthy children should be required to be vaccinated (for MMR) in order to attend public schools because of the potential risk for others when children are not vaccinated,” with 71% who said they should be required to do so in December, 2022, an 11 percentage point decrease from a October 2019 Pew Research Center poll. Almost three in ten (28%) said parents “should be able to decide not to vaccinate their children, even if that may create health risks for other children and adults,” an increase from 16% in 2019.

This decrease in support for MMR vaccine requirements for children in public schools is driven by Republicans and Republican-leaning independents – just a slight majority of Republicans (56%) said healthy children should be required to be vaccinated to attend public schools, a 23 percentage-point decline from 2019 when about eight in ten expressed support for such a requirement. More than four in ten Republicans and Republican-leaning independents (44%) said that parents should be able to decide not to vaccinate their children in December, up from 20% in 2019.

Among parents of children under age 18, about two-thirds (65%) said healthy children should be required to be vaccinated to attend public schools, down from 76% who said the same in 2019.

  • Large Shares Across Partisans Questioned The Value Of The Updated COVID-19 Booster

    The top reasons given by those eligible for the new booster who had not yet gotten it have been similar across partisans, but the share who cited each reason varied. Majorities of Republicans or Republican-leaning independents said they had not gotten the booster because they felt they had enough protection from a previous dose or infection (62%), or they didn't think they needed it (56%). These were also the top reasons given by Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents, but four in ten of this group (43%) said they felt they had enough protection and about one in three (34%) said they didn't think they needed the new booster. Other reasons were more frequently mentioned by Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents than Republicans, including being too busy or not having time (37% vs. 17%), that they couldn't afford to take time off work to get the booster or deal with side effects (19% vs. 10%), or they were not sure how or where to get the booster (15% vs. 6%). Notably, one-fourth (27%) of Republicans said they had not gotten a booster because they thought “COVID is over.”

  • Majorities Across Partisans Trust Health Care Providers, Public Health Agencies Rank Lower Among Republicans

    While large majorities across partisans say they trust their own doctor or child’s pediatrician, government sources of information like the CDC, local public health departments, and the FDA fare much worse among Republicans. About four in ten Republicans say they trust the FDA (42%) or the CDC (40%) to provide reliable information about vaccines, and about half of Republicans (51%) say the same about their local public health departments. Large majorities of Democrats and more than half of independents say they trust each of these organizations at least a fair amount.

Adults Split On Whether K-12 Schools Should Require COVID-19 Vaccines, With Significant Partisan Divides

The public has been divided on whether K-12 schools should require their staff and eligible students to get a COVID-19 vaccine, with similar shares who said schools should (46%) and should not (51%) require vaccines, in February, 2022. Three-fourths of Democrats (76%) said schools should require COVID-19 vaccinations while more than eight in ten Republicans (84%) said schools should not. Independents were more likely to say schools should not require COVID-19 vaccines (56%) than to say they should be required (40%). Six in ten parents said schools should not require vaccines including majorities of parents of teens ages 12-17 (58%), children 5 to 11 years old (66%), and children under age 5 (59%).

(mis)Information and trust

  • Health Care Providers Are The Most Trusted Sources For Vaccine Information

    More than eight in ten adults (82%) say they trust their own doctor or health care provider at least a fair amount when it comes to providing reliable information about vaccines. A similar share of parents (84%) has the same level of trust in their child’s pediatrician. About three-quarters of adults (77%) say they trust pharmacists to provide reliable information. A smaller share, but still a majority, say they trust public health government agencies like their own local public health department (68%), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (63%), or the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) (61%). This is similar to the share of insured adults (68%) who say they trust their health insurance company. Schools and daycares rank below other groups asked about with slightly more than half (56%) of parents with children attending school or daycare saying they trust them to provide reliable information about vaccines.

  • Most Understand Why And How To Get Vaccines, But A Quarter Say It Is Difficult To Know Costs, Which Ones To Get, And How They Work

    Nearly all adults (93%) say it is easy for them to understand where to go to get vaccinated, including six in ten (63%) who say it is “very easy.” At least three-quarters of adults also say it is easy for them to understand why they should get vaccines (84%), when they should get them (79%), how vaccines work (78%), which vaccines they should get (77%), and how much they may have to pay for a vaccine (63%). While most adults say it is easy for them to understand the reasoning behind vaccines and the logistics of how to get them, at least one in five of adults still say some of these aspects are difficult to understand. This includes understanding which vaccines they should get (23%), how vaccines generally work (22%), or understanding when they need to get certain vaccines (20%). More than one in four adults say it is difficult to know how much they may have to pay out-of-pocket (27%), even as most people with health insurance will not have to pay any out-of-pocket costs for recommended vaccines.

Trust In Government Sources For COVID-19 Vaccine Information Has Fallen, Particularly Among Republicans

The share who have said they trust President Biden, the FDA, the CDC, and Dr. Fauci to provide reliable information on COVID-19 vaccines has declined since December 2020. Despite some criticism of how the FDA and CDC have handled vaccine rollout and messaging, trust among Democrats has remained high. However, among Republicans, the share who said they trust the FDA fell from a majority (62%) in December, 2020 to about four in ten (43%) in April, 2022.

Similarly, the share of Republicans who said they trust the CDC at least a fair amount fell from a majority in December (57%) to four in ten (41%) in April. The share of Republicans who trust Dr. Fauci for vaccine information fell by roughly half between December 2020 and spring 2022, from 47% to 25%. In addition, trust in President Biden, already low among Republicans in December when he was President-elect, sank even further.

Large Shares of U.S. Adults Have Heard Items Of COVID-19 Misinformation, Though Fewer Say They Are True

KFF's Health Misinformation Tracking Poll Pilot finds that the most widespread misinformation items included in the survey were related to COVID-19 and vaccines, including that the COVID-19 vaccines have caused thousands of deaths in otherwise healthy people (65% say they have heard or read this) and that the MMR vaccines have been proven to cause autism in children (65%). Across the five COVID-19 and vaccine related misinformation items, adults without a college degree are more likely than college graduates to say these claims are definitely or probably true. Notably, Black adults are at least ten percentage points more likely than White adults to believe some items of vaccine misinformation, including that the COVID-19 vaccines have caused thousands of sudden deaths in otherwise healthy people, and that the MMR vaccines have been proven to cause autism in children.

Seven In Ten Women Who Were Pregnant Or Planning To Believed Or Were Unsure About At Least One Piece Of Misinformation Surrounding Pregnancy And COVID-19 Vaccines

Among those for whom questions about the safety of the vaccines and pregnancy are particularly relevant – women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant – nearly four in ten (37%) were unsure if pregnant women should not get the vaccines and 44% were unsure if the COVID-19 vaccines cause infertility, according to the Vaccine Monitor in May, 2022. Altogether, among women who were pregnant or planning to become pregnant, 60% believed that pregnant women should not get the vaccine or were unsure if this is true, 58% believed or were unsure whether the vaccines have been shown to cause infertility, and 52% believed or were unsure whether it is unsafe for breastfeeding women to get vaccinated.

GREATER THAN COVID

Questions about pregnancy, fertility and the COVID-19 vaccines answered!

OB/GYNs, a nurse and midwife affirm the safety of the COVID-19 vaccines during pregnancy and debunk myths about the impact on fertility in 40+ new FAQ videos from THE CONVERSATION / LA CONVERSACIÓN. The new videos join the expansive living video library of more than 300 FAQ videos in English and Spanish featuring a diverse group of more than 30 healthcare workers of color produced by KFF under its Greater Than COVID public information response.

Taking precautions

Half Of Adults Say They Are Not Taking Precautions Because Of COVID-19 This Fall And Winter

The public is divided on precautions, with half of adults saying they aren’t planning to take any of the precautions asked about in the survey, while the other half report they plan to take at least one precaution this fall and winter. The most common precautions people said they planned to take were avoiding large gatherings (35%) or wearing a mask in crowded places (30%). Smaller shares say they are avoiding travel this fall and winter as a precaution against COVID-19 (25%), avoiding dining indoors at restaurants (19%), or taking a COVID-19 test before visiting with friends or family (18%).

While four in ten (39%) White adults say they will take at least one precaution, majorities of Black adults (72%) and Hispanic adults (68%) report they are planning to take any of the precautions mentioned. Similarly, partisanship and previous vaccine uptake continue to be strong predictors of whether people plan to take precautions to limit the spread of the virus. Two thirds (66%) of Democrats and half (48%) of independents say they plan to take at least one precaution, compared to three in ten (29%) Republicans who say the same. Just over half (53%) of vaccinated adults say they are taking any of the precautions, compared to four in ten (39%) unvaccinated adults.

Six In Ten Adults Said People Should Continue Masking To Avoid COVID-19 Surges, With Splits By Partisanship, Income, Race

In March, 2022, about six in ten adults (59%) said that now that COVID-19 case rates are lower, people should continue to wear masks in some public places to minimize the spread and avoid another surge in cases, while four in ten said that people should stop wearing masks in most public places so things can go back to normal. There were significant divides not only by partisanship, and vaccination status, but also by race, ethnicity, and income.

Eight-five percent of Democrats said that people should continue to wear masks, as did 57% of independents and 67% of vaccinated adults. Around seven in ten Republicans (69%) said that people should stop wearing masks so that things can return to normal, as did 67% of unvaccinated adults.

While White adults were split (49% said people should stop wearing masks, 49% said they should continue to wear them in some public places), large majorities of Black adults (88%) and Hispanic adults (69%) said that people should continue to wear masks in some public places to minimize the spread of COVID-19. Around two-thirds of those with a household income of less than $40,000 a year (68%) said the same, compared to 55% of those with an income between $40,000-$89,900 and 54% of those with an income of $90,000 or more. This finding that people of color have been more likely to support continued mask wearing may reflect larger shares of Black and Hispanic adults being employed in service industries compared to White adults, putting them at an increased risk of exposure to COVID-19.

IMPACTS OF THE PANDEMIC

Black And Hispanic Adults More Likely To Have Experienced Negative Impacts Of The Pandemic

Black and Hispanic adults reported higher levels of financial impacts and worry about illness than their White counterparts when it comes to COVID-19 related issues, reflecting the increased burden the pandemic has placed on people of color over the past two years.

Half Said COVID-19 Pandemic Had A Negative Impact On Their Mental Health, Four In Ten On Physical Health, Financial Situation

The March, 2022 survey found the pandemic has taken a heavy toll on adults and children over the last two years. Whether it comes to their education, work, finances, mental or physical health, many – regardless of race, ethnicity and income – report feeling the negative effects of the pandemic.

The most common negative effects of the pandemic, as reported by parents, were about their children’s education and mental health. Almost two-thirds of parents said that the pandemic has negatively affected their children’s education (63%), with 28% who said it had no effect, and 9% who reported it had a positive effect. Moreover, over half (55%) of parents said the pandemic had a negative impact on their children’s mental health, compared to 36% who said it made no difference, and 9% who said it had a positive effect.

Many Workers, Including Six In Ten Of Those Earning Less Than $40,000, Reported Having To Miss Work During Past Three Months Due To COVID-19 Concerns

Four in ten workers (42%) said they had to miss work at least once in the past three months because of a COVID-19 related concern or sickness in February, 2022. This includes one in four workers (26%) who said they had to miss work to quarantine following a COVID-19 exposure, one in five who missed work because they tested positive for COVID-19, and one in eight (13%) who missed work because their place of employment was closed or reduced hours due to COVID-19 concerns. Additionally, three in ten parents (28%) said they had to miss work in the three months prior to the survey because they had to stay home with a child who had to quarantine, or their child’s school went virtual due to COVID-19 concerns.

Two-Thirds Of Young Adults Reported Negative Impacts From The COVID-19 Pandemic On Their Mental Health

Younger people also reported disproportionate effects from the COVID-19 pandemic in March, 2022, especially when it comes to their mental and physical health. Two-thirds of young adults aged 18-29 (67%) reported that the pandemic had a negative impact on their mental health, compared to just over half of 30-49 year-olds (54%), and under four in ten 50-64 year-olds (38%) and those over the age of 65 (37%).

Young adults were also more likely to report difficulties with their physical health due to the pandemic, with 53% of those under 30 reporting a negative impact, 47% of those 30-49, 37% of those 50-64, and 28% of those over the age of 65. In addition, larger shares of young adults reported negative effects on their employment situation (36%) compared to older adults, including those ages 50-64 (23%) and those 65 and older (17%).

 

KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor was a research project tracking the public’s attitudes and experiences with COVID-19 vaccinations. Using a combination of surveys and qualitative research, the Monitor tracks the dynamic nature of public opinion as vaccine development and distribution unfold, including vaccine confidence and acceptance, information needs, trusted messengers and messages, as well as the public’s experiences with vaccination. A list of all Vaccine Monitor reports is available here.

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