Only one half of Americans would seek a COVID-19 vaccine if it became available, according to a poll released Wednesday by The Associated Press and NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
In addition, the poll found that 31 percent didn’t know for sure if they would get vaccinated and 1 in 5 surveyed said they would refuse a vaccine outright.
President Trump and members of his administration have set a goal of a 300 million-dose stockpile by January but that has been met with skepticism by the poll’s respondents.
“It’s always better to underperform and over-deliver,” said Dr. William Schaffner, infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. “The unexpected looms large and that’s why I think for any of these vaccines, we’re going to need a large safety database to provide the reassurance.”