Americans are regaining confidence in the COVID-19 vaccine.
In September, a concerning Gallup poll suggested half of Americans wouldn't get a COVID-19 vaccine once it was available. But now that the vaccine is actually developed and out in the world, just 15 percent say they won't get it, an ABC News/Ipsos poll released Monday found.
The number of Americans resistant to getting a coronavirus vaccine has shrunk as the vaccine got closer to rollout. And as of Monday, when the first vaccines were given to health-care workers, 40 percent of Americans said they'll line up to get the vaccine as soon as possible, ABC News/Ipsos' poll showed. Another 44 percent said they will wait a bit before getting the vaccine — though they may not have much choice in the matter given that it'll take a few months to produce and distribute enough vaccines for everyone who wants one.
The FDA granted an emergency use authorization to Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine last week, and is expected to do the same for Moderna's this week. Most Americans will need to be vaccinated for the population to achieve herd immunity, as well as to protect people with medical concerns who cannot safely take the vaccine. Dr. Anthony Fauci has predicted that if "we get 75 percent, 80 percent of the population vaccinated," the U.S. could reach herd immunity and resume "some degree of normality" near the end of 2021.
Ipsos surveyed 621 random U.S. adults from Dec. 12–13 in English and Spanish, with a margin of error of 4.3 percent.
