SURVEY GAUGES OPINIONS ON VACCINES

San Diego County used results to target inoculation campaign

A survey commissioned by San Diego County found most local residents plan to be vaccinated for COVID-19, and an education campaign has been launched to target those who still have reservations.

“We think the results of this poll are great,” said county Board of Supervisors Chair Nathan Fletcher. “Nearly three-fourths of San Diegans are likely to get the vaccine, and we believe that number will continue to rise.”

FM3 Research conducted the survey of 1,637 people between Dec. 19 and Jan. 5 through online questionnaires and telephone interviews. The survey found 67 percent of people had some concerns that the vaccine was too new, and 58 percent were concerned it was rushed and developed too quickly.

Fletcher said if the poll were conducted today, he believes more people would be comfortable with the vaccine because of the many doses that have been administered safely since early January.

But the survey revealed people had other concerns, and Fletcher said those are being addressed in a $750,000 education campaign being rolled out with digital, print, radio and television public service announcements that will run into May.

The survey found 40 percent of respondents said they had concerns about the vaccine’s cost, apparently not aware it is free.

The survey also found 36 percent of Black county residents said they were unlikely to take the vaccine, the highest of any racial group. Among Latinos, 46 percent said they were very likely to take the vaccine while 61 percent of White people said they were very likely.

Those concerns were addressed in two commercials shown Wednesday at the county’s weekly press briefing on COVID-19.

One public service announcement featured Samantha Williams of the San Diego Black Nurses Association saying, “When it’s your turn, get a free vaccine to protect you and your family from COVID-19.”

The other PSA was in Spanish and had the words “Es gratis” and “Es segura,” which translate in English as “It’s free” and “It’s safe.”

Fletcher said the ads, which also feature Dr. Rodney Hood of the San Ysidro Health Center, use trusted messengers to help reach the Black and Latino communities.

In reality, the county’s more pressing problem has not been too many people turning down the vaccine, but rather not enough vaccines to meet demand.

Fletcher said that could change in coming weeks, and the county is launching its education campaign in anticipation of the time when there are enough vaccines to meet demands.

Awareness of the vaccine was very high among respondents, with 62 percent of people saying they had heard a great deal about it and 33 percent had heard a little. Only 4 percent said they had not heard of the vaccine and 1 percent did not know if they had.

Of the people who had little or no concerns about the vaccine, 53 percent answered “very likely” when asked if they would take it and 19 percent answered “somewhat likely.”

Of the 22 percent who were reluctant to take it, 15 percent answered “very unlikely” and 7 percent said “somewhat unlikely.” Six percent said they didn’t know.

Of the 361 people who said they would be unlikely to take the vaccine, 37 percent said they were worried about side effects or had allergies and 21 percent said they didn’t trust the government or the system. Others answered that they already had COVID-19, thought they would survive if they caught it or didn’t think it was that deadly, among other answers.

Gender didn’t play a role in people’s opinion of the vaccine. Men and women generally responded the same way. People of different ages, however, gave considerably different answers.

Older people were more willing to take the vaccine than younger people in the survey, which showed only 42 percent of people age 18-29 very likely to take it compared with 70 percent of people 75 and older.

Only 10 percent of people 75 and older said they were unlikely to take the vaccine compared with 23 percent of people 18-29.

About 23 percent of respondents said they were extremely or very concerned that they would have to share too much personal information with the government to get the vaccine. Broken down further, that concern was shared by 35 percent of homeless people without shelter, 32 percent of immigrants and 21 percent of U.S.born people.

About 20 percent were extremely or very concerned that vaccines cause autism, and about 18 percent were extremely or very concerned the vaccine would give them the virus. A public service announcement featuring Hood disputes the notion that people can get COVID-19 from the vaccine.

Political affiliations also affect people’s opinion of the vaccine, the survey found.

Among Democrats, 68 percent said they were very likely to take it, 20 percent answered somewhat likely to take it and 9 percent said they were unlikely to be vaccinated.

Among Republicans, 47 percent said they very likely would be vaccinated, 16 percent said they were somewhat likely, and 31 percent said they were unlikely.

Among independents, 50 percent were very likely to take it, 18 percent were somewhat likely and 25 percent were unlikely to take it.