Most vaccinated Americans want to shoot COVID-19 – Reuters / Ipsos poll

WASHINGTON, Sept. 1 (Reuters) – As the United States prepares for a COVID-19 vaccine-boosting campaign, most vaccinated Americans want the extra dose, according to a Reuters poll / Ipsos, motivated primarily by concern about the highly contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus.

The U.S. government said that if health regulators approve the measure, it will launch COVID-19 booster injections starting Sept. 20 out of concern about declining protection against COVID-19 vaccine infections. Many scientists say the need for reinforcement has not been demonstrated. The government has already made third shots available to immunocompromised adults.

The national survey, conducted from August 27 to 30, found that among those adults who received at least one dose of coronavirus vaccine, 76% want a booster, while 6% do not and 18% do not. they were sure of it. Among those over 55, 80% said they want one.

“I have a four-year-old grandson. I want to make sure he knows me,” retired 75-year-old journalist Dora Ann Reaves of South Carolina said. “I’ll take every opportunity to do all the shooting I can. I’ve already had everything else I can have, other than shooting for the bubonic plague.”

The results reflect anxiety about the Delta variant that has caused an increase in infections and hospitalizations and show that the public favors promoters more than scientists, said Jason Gallagher, an infectious disease expert at Temple University.

“There’s a lot of protection among people in the medical community about the need for enhancers, so it seems like the general public is more in favor than a lot of professionals,” he said.

There is no harm in some people who do not want reinforcement because not everyone needs it, said Gallagher, who added that individuals at risk should receive them. The United States began offering the extra shot last month to people with compromised immune systems.

Among those who want boosters, nearly 43% said they were concerned about the Delta variant and more than 34% cited their age.

28% of respondents cited concern that their initial inoculation was no longer effective, while 15% said they were immunocompromised or at high risk.

“I’d like to make sure the reinforcement is safe,” said Texan customer service representative Joe Guerra, 63, who has rheumatoid arthritis, which could put him at risk. Many widely used drugs for the disease suppress the immune system.

Guerra also expressed concern that millions of Americans would remain unvaccinated.

As of Aug. 31, more than 66 million people (25 percent of U.S. adults) have not received a single dose of vaccine, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“It’s not a smart thing not to get it. Just follow the rules, stay safe, and keep those around you safe,” said high school graduate Jamarii Perrington, 18, of Massachusetts.

The Reuters / Ipsos survey was conducted online, in English, across the United States. It collected responses from 4,427 adults, including 3,042 who had received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 2,374 who expressed interest in a booster shot.

Ipsos weighted the results using the latest population and vaccination statistics to better reflect the American population. The results have a credibility range, a measure of accuracy, of 2 percentage points.

Report by Ahmed Aboulenein in Washington and Chris Kahn in New York; Edited by Carlone Humer and Bill Berkrot

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