As COVID-19 vaccination rates have risen from late April 2021 through early January 2022 in the United States, the number of unvaccinated adults still willing to vaccinate has decreased from 74 million to 12 million, a decrease of 84 percent. Concurrently, many unvaccinated adults who indicated they were unwilling to vaccinate in earlier periods of the pandemic also received vaccines. The number of unvaccinated adults unwilling to vaccinate decreased from 45 million to 23 million, a decrease of 49 percent. Over time, the remaining unvaccinated population has become less willing to vaccinate. This is consistent with individuals who were previously unvaccinated but willing becoming vaccinated. Willingness to vaccinate among unvaccinated adults temporarily increased during COVID-19 surges, suggesting that COVID-19 surges may influence individuals to be more willing to vaccinate. Younger, lower income, and less educated populations have consistently been the most willing to vaccinate among unvaccinated adults. Black, Hispanic and Asian unvaccinated adult populations have been more willing to vaccinate than the White unvaccinated adult population. Despite clinical and observational evidence that COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective at reducing the risk of COVID-19, unvaccinated adults willing to vaccinate most commonly say they have not been vaccinated due to concerns about vaccine side effects and a desire to wait and see whether COVID-19 vaccines are safe. Unvaccinated adults unwilling to vaccinate most commonly say they have not been vaccinated due to concerns about vaccine side effects and distrust in COVID-19 vaccines and the government. Unvaccinated adults rarely cite vaccine cost or accessibility as reasons for not yet having vaccinated, suggesting these have not been major impediments to vaccine uptake during our period of study.
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