More than half of Americans believe that unvaccinated people should not return to the office or use public areas.
A growing number of people in the United States want to get the coronavirus vaccine, and a majority also support workplace, lifestyle and travel restrictions for those not vaccinated against COVID-19, according to a poll released Friday.
The Reuters / Ipsos national poll found that 54 percent of respondents said they were “very interested” in vaccination. That was an increase from a January poll, when 41 percent showed the same interest, and 38 percent in a May 2020 poll before a coronavirus vaccine was developed.
Amid a limited supply of vaccination doses, most states currently still prioritize front-line workers, the elderly, and those with underlying health problems.
According to the poll, 55 percent agreed that unvaccinated people shouldn’t be allowed to exercise in public gyms, go to movie theaters, or attend public concerts. [Lucy Nicholson/Reuters]
US President Joe Biden in a key speech on Thursday called on US states to open up vaccinations to all adults by May, paving the way for economic and social life to resume by July 4, US Independence Day.
Interest in the vaccine has increased among whites and racial minorities over the past year, with about six in ten whites and five in ten members of minority groups now showing great interest.
According to the poll, 27 percent of Americans said they were not interested in vaccination, relatively unchanged from a similar poll that took place in May.
But as foreshadowing the social challenges that could arise as the US begins to withdraw from the year-long pandemic, the latest poll showed that a majority of Americans want to limit the ways unvaccinated people get into it. can mix publicly.
According to the poll, 72 percent of Americans said it was important to know “if the people around me have been vaccinated.”
People wave after leaving a Disneyland parking lot that has been converted into a mass vaccination site in Anaheim, California, USA. [File: Mario Anzuoni/Reuters]
A majority – 62 percent – said unvaccinated people should not be allowed to travel on airplanes. Fifty-five percent agreed that unvaccinated people shouldn’t exercise in public gyms, go to movie theaters, or attend public concerts.
When asked about the workplace, 60 percent of Americans said they wanted to work for an employer “who requires everyone to have a coronavirus vaccine before returning to the office,” and 56 percent said that unvaccinated workers should stay at home.
Businesses could soon feel increasing pressure to address those concerns. About 18 percent of the U.S. population has already received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine.
Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, said the poll responses made sense given the social constraints placed on everyone over the past year.
“People say, ‘If I’m vaccinated, it will change my life,'” said Adalja. “And if you haven’t been vaccinated, that’s your choice. But you get a different status because you might be a carrier of this virus, so you could be spreading it to another unvaccinated person. ”