Government May Provide Free COVID-19 Vaccine—but How Many Are Willing to Get It?

Johnson & Johnson just announced that it has begun Phase 3 of its coronavirus vaccine trial. It’s the fourth company to do so. Whichever of the vaccines is deemed safe and effective, the federal government says it wants to offer free vaccination to all Americans. Federal health agencies and the Department of Defense are already strategizing how to get it done; in a report to Congress, they say the plan could be ready to implement by the end of 2020 or early next year—again, contingent upon availability of a viable vaccine. At the same time, however, an NBC News/SurveyMonkey Weekly Tracking Poll shows that fewer than half of Americans say they would get a COVID-19 shot when it becomes available. Overall, 44% of respondents answered yes to the question, “Would you get a government-approved coronavirus vaccine?”  Another 32% say they’re not sure, while 22% answered no. Looking at how people with different levels of education responded is a bit more complicated, however. Only 36% of people with a high school-level of education or lower said they would get the vaccine, compared with 68% of people with postgraduate degrees. There’s a steady incline between those two extremes, encompassing people with “some college” and those with a “college+” education.