Nearly a quarter of Republicans would refuse to take a coronavirus vaccine, poll shows

Pfizer.
(Image credit: Jeenah Moon/Getty Images)

Most Americans indicated they would receive a U.S.-made coronavirus vaccine should one get approval, but Republicans are more likely to refuse one, a new Politico/Morning Consult poll finds.

Only 9 percent of Democrats said they wouldn't get vaccinated compared to 24 percent of Republicans. On the other hand, Republicans were actually more likely — 26 percent to 21 percent — than Democrats to favor the government unveiling a vaccine as swiftly as possible, even if that means it had not been fully tested.

Overall, though, the country seems to prefer waiting to make sure a vaccine's safety is confirmed, even as the government, drug companies like Pfizer, and research institutions operate at an unprecedented pace to produce a vaccine amid the pandemic. More than 60 percent of those surveyed want any potential vaccine to be fully tested before it becomes available.

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The Politico/Morning Consult poll was conducted online between July 24-26 among 1,997 registered voters. The margin of error was 2 percentage points. Read more at Politico.

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Tim O'Donnell

Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.