Differences in political party affiliation is the primary force dividing whether Americans are going to get the latest COVID-19 booster shot, a poll released Friday found.
Seventy percent of Democrats say they are likely to or have already received the updated shot, while 28 percent of Republicans say they will, the Ipsos poll found.
The survey found that as of early October, 6 percent of Americans report already having received the newest booster shot.
A majority of respondents, 67 percent, fall into the “very likely” or “not at all likely” categories, meaning many have already made up their minds about if they will receive the new COVID vaccine.
Seventy-one percent of Republicans say they are unlikely to get the new shot, and just 30 percent of Democrats say the same. Independents are fairly evenly split; 51 percent said they already have or plan on getting the booster, while 49 percent say they don’t have plans to.
“Beyond party affiliation, differences in plans to receive the updated COVID-19 booster emerge by age and educational attainment, with college-educated Americans and those over age 50 more likely to have received or plan to receive the new booster,” the poll said.
Roughly 1 in 10 Americans have had difficulty finding a vaccine appointment, the survey found.
Axios first reported the poll.
The Centers for Disease Control recommends an updated COVID-19 vaccine for everyone aged 6 months and older. The newest vaccine, which became available last week, is said to work well against the currently circulating variant of COVID-19, BA.2.86.
Four percent of respondents said they faced insurance difficulties when looking to receive the booster. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said vaccines are covered by insurance, including private insurance companies, Medicare plans and Medicaid plans. People who are uninsured have access to the booster through the Vaccine for Children Program and the Bridge Access Program, the CDC said.
The Ipsos poll was conducted from Sept. 29 to Oct. 1 using a nationally representative sample of 1,025 adults and has a margin of error of 3 percentage points.