Most Will Take Coronavirus Vaccine, But Some Skeptical: IL Survey

ILLINOIS — With the release of a coronavirus vaccine likely just days away in Illinois, most of the more than 3,000 readers who took Patch's survey say they intend to get vaccinated against the disease, but some admitted they are wary or concerned about how quickly the vaccines were produced.

Just a year after the emergence of the coronavirus — which has since killed more than 1.5 million people worldwide and 282,000 in the U.S. — two vaccines against the illness are likely to be approved in the coming days.

Illinois could begin distributing a coronavirus vaccine as early as Thursday, first targeting health care and nursing home workers. But it will take some time to roll out vaccinations to everyone who needs it, prioritizing front-line workers and first responders.

"No single person will be fully vaccinated even by Christmas, and it will likely be months before people with low risk factors for COVID-19 even see their first dose," Gov. J.B. Pritzker said last week. Both vaccines on track for December approval — one by Pfizer and one by Moderna — require two doses spaced several weeks apart.

IL Vaccine Plan: First Doses Could Be Just Days Away

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An overwhelming number of Illinois Patch readers who responded to the survey — over 72 percent — say they believe in vaccination and try to stay up to date on their own, with a small minority, just 2.3 percent, saying they don't believe in vaccination at all. Another 13.6 percent said they believe in vaccination but don't always keep their own shots up to date, and 8.7 percent said they mistrust vaccination and generally avoid it.

Similarly, nearly 75 percent of those who took Patch's survey said they already got a flu shot this year or intend to get one.

As for whether they intend to get vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus, 47.4 percent said they will get a vaccine at the earliest opportunity. Others were more cautious, with 31.6 percent saying they will get one, but only after it's been in use long enough to make sure it's safe and effective. Just more than 17 percent said they won't get one at all, and the remaining 3.7 percent of those who responded said they aren't sure.

Meanwhile, just under half of Patch readers were pleased with the way the government and researchers worked together as part of Operation Warp Speed to develop several vaccines against the virus. More than 49 percent said vaccine development is "a great example of how science and government can work together for the public good." But more than 33 percent said they feel the project was rushed and that they're worried the safety of the vaccines may be compromised.

For perspective, it's been just about a year since the first cases of the coronavirus were detected in December 2019, as a cluster of pneumonia cases of unknown origin were diagnosed in Wuhan, China. On Jan. 12, Chinese authorities noted a novel coronavirus termed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Community spread of the coronavirus was first detected in the United States in February, and by mid-March, all 50 states had confirmed cases of the virus.

With a contentious presidential election in which President Donald Trump has yet to concede to projected winner Joe Biden, politics also seems to play a role in how confident some residents are in Operation Warp Speed.

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Just 16.5 percent of readers who responded said the Trump administration's involvement in the project makes them more confident in the safety and effectiveness of the vaccines. More than 36 percent said the administration's involvement makes them less confident in the vaccines, but politics wasn't a factor at all for another 16.5 percent, who said it makes them neither more nor less confident.

But there was also a political component to whom readers trust when it comes to getting information on the pandemic. Most readers — more than 56 percent — said they trust medical and scientific experts outside the Trump administration. Fifty-one percent also said they trust Dr. Anthony Fauci, an immunologist and director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, who has advised six presidents on HIV/AIDS and many other domestic and global health issues.

But 21.4 percent said they trust medical and scientific experts within the Trump administration, and 20.4 percent trust information from Dr. Deborah Birx, who has served as the coronavirus response coordinator for the White House Coronavirus Task Force since February. Another 8.2 percent said they trust coronavirus information from Trump himself, and 15.9 percent of readers said they don't trust any of the above when it comes to information on the virus.

Patch readers were also given the opportunity to leave comments regarding their thoughts on the coronavirus vaccines in general. Many said they trust those behind the development of the vaccines and that they will get vaccinated regardless of which vaccine they receive, but some were skeptical.

"If the government can't even handle the COVID testing, I worry how the vaccine distribution will be done," one reader said.

Another had a preference as to which vaccine they receive. "I would prefer the Moderna or AstraZeneca vaccine," they said.

Others were soured on getting vaccinated altogether. "You’d have to have something wrong with your brain to be willing to get this vaccine," one said.

"Trump had nothing to do with this vaccine and deserves no credit," another reader said, but praised the researchers behind the development of the vaccines, saying, "The amazing scientists and doctors who repeatedly attempted to debunk his lies and put so much effort into vaccine production are to be thanked."

Several said they will be required to get vaccinated because they work in health care, and some said they trust their doctor to recommend what's right for them.

"Having worked in medical research for over a decade, I have full confidence in the FDA's vaccine approval process," one Illinois reader said.

One reader was hesitant about getting vaccinated and felt elected officials should go first, saying, "I feel the politicians should take the vaccine first to see how they react, then it should be approved."

Others noted that, so far, none of the vaccines are approved for use in children, and there is still some question whether pregnant women should take them.

"I want to know how they will determine the vaccine reactions for children if they are not doing trials on children currently," one Patch reader wrote. "Overall, we need to see that the trials for adults went well and see the side effects and it's hard to know about long-term effects since we won't be able to have time to see that since it will be ready soon."

Several readers said they won't trust a vaccine developed so quickly. "Don't trust a vaccine created that quickly and think we are being lied to about this virus," one person said. "I will not get it. Not enough time to find out about side effects."

But a few expressed a strong desire to get vaccinated, regardless of which vaccine they get.

"I will travel almost anywhere on the planet to get the vaccine," one said.

Note: Patch's survey was not meant to be a scientific poll, with random sampling and margins of error, but was meant only to gauge the sentiments of our readers in an informal way.