Who Is Choosing Not To Take The COVID-19 Vaccine In GA?

By Samuel Stebbins, 24/7 Wall St. Atlanta

2021-05-19

As the novel coronavirus continues to spread across the globe, several variants of the virus have emerged. Some of the newly circulating variants spread more easily and more quickly than their predecessors, therefore adding a new urgency to vaccine distribution.

The Biden Administration’s ambitious plan to vaccinate 300 million Americans by the end of the summer faces multiple challenges — and not all are related to distribution or production. According to a recent survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, 28,610,000 Americans — or 11.5% of the 18 and older population — say they will either probably or definitely not get the vaccination when given the opportunity.

The majority of Americans who have yet to be vaccinated cite one of three reasons: either they are concerned about possible side effects, or they want to wait to see if it is safe, or they think that others would benefit more than themselves from a vaccination. Others cite different reasons.

Nationwide, 18,110,000 people, 7.3% of the eligible population, do not trust the COVID-19 vaccines, and another 6,330,000, or 2.5%, are anti-vaccines in general. Additionally, 13,890,000 American adults, or 5.6% of the 18 and older population, have not been vaccinated because they do not trust the government.

In Georgia, an estimated 1,192,600 adults, or 15.0%, say they will likely refuse the vaccine. Of all adults in the state, 9.9% will refuse because they do not trust the COVID-19 vaccine specifically, 2.7% because they are against vaccination in general, and 7.6% because they distrust the government.

Perhaps due in part to pockets of resistance, Georgia is struggling to vaccinate its population rapidly. So far, 29.8% of Georgia’s population are fully vaccinated, compared to 37.8% of all Americans.

Meanwhile, the virus continues to spread. In the last week, Georgia reported another 5,742 cases of the virus — though this figure may include a backlog of past cases that were not previously counted. Since the beginning of the pandemic, there have been 1,115,072 confirmed cases of the virus in the state, and a total of 20,505 residents have died as a result.

All survey data used in this story was published by the Census on May 5, 2021. All data related to COVID-19 infections, fatalities, and vaccinations is current as of May 17, 2021.

(Image via 24/7 Wall St.)

This story was originally published by 24/7 Wall St., a news organization that produces real-time business commentary and data-driven reporting for state and local markets across the country.