Don’t refuse a COVID-19 vaccine

Despite the United States having the world’s highest numbers of COVID-19 deaths and cases and three authorized vaccines to protect against COVID-19 at no financial cost to the individual, many Americans are reporting that they will refuse to take a vaccine. 

In order to ensure a high level of vaccination across the country and effectively confront the pandemic, President Biden and Congress need to remove the highly important matter of COVID-19 vaccination from contentious partisan politics and place it in science-based public health. 

Unfortunately, in addition to its inconsistency and incompetence in addressing the pandemic, the Trump administration politicized it, exacerbating the pandemic’s deadly toll. Former President Trump blatantly undermined recommended public health measures by making them highly charged partisan issues, including social distancing, mask-wearing, limiting gatherings and imposing lockdowns. The sad result is the U.S. with just 4 percent of the world’s population accounts for 21 percent of all COVID-19 deaths, amounting to about 525,000 American fatalities. 

Political partisanship continues to be an important factor in attitudes regarding the coronavirus pandemic and vaccine refusal. Among the two major political parties, the proportion saying that they will definitely not take a COVID-19 vaccine is 9 percent for Democrats and 25 percent for Republicans.  

Vaccine hesitancy also differs markedly among America’s major social groups. Among white, Hispanic and Black Americans, the proportion saying they would wait and see before getting a COVID-19 vaccine is 26, 37 and 43 percent, respectively. 

That vaccine hesitancy among those groups has played out in the proportions vaccinated as of mid-February: white 10 percent; Black 5 percent; and Hispanic 3 percent. Those differences in vaccine hesitancy and proportion vaccinated are worrisome given COVID-19’s significantly greater mortality impact on minorities.

Another noteworthy difference in vaccine refusal is among those living in urban and rural areas, 8 and 21 percent, respectively. An even higher level of vaccine refusal is among America’s military service members, with nearly a third refusing voluntary COVID-19 vaccination.

Among the most often reported reasons for COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and refusal are side effects, lack of trust in the government and medical establishment and vaccine safety. Other important contributing factors for declining to be vaccinated are common myths about vaccines in general and misinformation campaigns and protests promoted by anti-vaccination groups.

As more Americans get vaccinated and demonstrate the visible benefits without adverse side effects, myths will gradually be dispelled, misinformation refuted and protests marginalized. As a result, the levels of vaccine hesitancy and refusal among Americans are expected to decline significantly. 

Vaccination rollout is picking up momentum and many more Americans are being vaccinated than several weeks ago. Since U.S. vaccine distribution began on Dec. 14, more than 76 million doses have been administered, reaching 15 percent of the total U.S. population, and each day over 1.8 million doses of a COVID-19 vaccine are being given.

The Biden administration set a goal of administering 100 million COVID-19 vaccines in its first 100 days. Based on current vaccination rates, the goal of 100 million vaccines is expected to be achieved by mid-March. By April 30, the administration’s 100th day, more than 180 million doses of a COVID-19 vaccine are projected to be given to Americans across the country. 

Preventing the spread of COVID-19 and bringing an end to the pandemic depends upon high and equitable vaccination coverage. If many Americans don’t get vaccinated, they not only can get themselves infected, but they can also transmit the coronavirus to others.

If approximately 75 to 85 percent of Americans get vaccinated, the coronavirus is expected to stop spreading and the outbreak would likely be over before the end of 2021. People who have been infected with the coronavirus also need to be vaccinated because there is uncertainty regarding effectiveness of their protection and how long it would last. 

High levels refusing to be vaccinated threatens the goal of achieving herd immunity. It also raises the knotty and challenging issue of deciding on what activities the unvaccinated will not be allowed to do. 

Some businesses, including airlines, cruise lines, restaurants and senior living facilities are considering requiring their employees to get coronavirus vaccines. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has said that companies may require vaccine mandates for their employees.

By now it should be abundantly clear to all Americans that the coronavirus doesn’t care about politics, party affiliation or political outlook. For the coronavirus, it’s not personal; it’s strictly business, spreading, infecting, sickening and ending human life.

In order for the country to have a chance to defeat the coronavirus pandemic and return to a reasonable semblance of normalcy, Americans need to take a COVID-19 vaccine, thereby safeguarding their health as well as the health of their fellow Americans. 

Joseph Chamie is a consulting demographer, a former director of the United Nations Population Division and author of numerous publications on population issues, including his recent book, “Births, Deaths, Migrations and Other Important Population Matters.”