Vaccine survey
More now agree to COVID shot
Nearly half of 43 Maui County residents surveyed recently said they would take the COVID-19 vaccine as soon it is available to them, while the other half said they planned to wait awhile and a small percentage said they wouldn’t take it.
The state Department of Health released the results Wednesday from a survey of 445 full-time residents across Hawaii including 315 on Oahu, 60 in Hawaii County, 43 in Maui County and 27 in Kauai County.
The 91 percent of Hawaii residents who said they planned to get the vaccine either now or further down the line was an increase over the 44 percent of people who indicated they would take the vaccine during a University of Hawaii survey of 616 residents in November.
It was also an increase over a larger survey conducted in December and released last month that showed about 50 percent of nearly 4,000 people willing to take the vaccine, with another 25.5 percent undecided and 24.4 percent least likely to get vaccinated.
Maui had among the lowest scores in the state in terms of people wanting to get the vaccine; areas least likely to want the vaccine at the time were Makawao, Hana and Haiku.
In the smaller and more recent survey, however, 95 percent of the 43 Maui County residents surveyed said they would get vaccinated — 48 percent as soon as it was available and 47 percent who planned to wait awhile before getting it — the highest in the state. Another 4 percent said they would not take it.
Of the 27 Kauai County residents, 92 percent planned to take the vaccine, including 33 percent who would get it right away and 59 percent who planned to wait. On Oahu, 91 percent of the 315 residents said they would take it — 58 percent right away and 33 percent after waiting — while 89 percent of the 60 Hawaii County residents planned to take it — 52 percent right away and 37 percent after waiting.
Statewide, 91 percent of residents surveyed indicated they would take the vaccine. More than half, or 55 percent, said they would get the shot as soon as it was available; another 36 percent wanted to wait.
Anthology Research conducted the study from Dec. 30 to Jan. 11. The data was weighted to reflect population estimates of adults 18 years and older by major ethnic groups by island.
Each of the recent surveys has been carried out by different organizations and varied in size and types of questions; however, the department saw the latest responses as an indication that vaccine acceptance seems to be increasing.
“This is a positive change in a relatively short time,” Health Director Dr. Elizabeth Char said in a news release Wednesday. “As we anticipated, those who were initially hesitant about getting the vaccine are now much more comfortable as they see family, friends, coworkers and others safely receiving their first and second doses.”
The Anthology Survey also looks into detail at more diverse issues related to COVID19 in Hawaii, from gauging mental health issues to determining which aspect of COVID-19 worries residents the most to whether people recalled seeing or hearing any messages from the DOH regarding COVID-19 survivor stories.
More people worried about the health threats than the economic toll of COVID-19; statewide, 63 percent said they were more concerned about the health impacts, while 37 percent were more worried about the economy. In Maui County, 59 percent were more worried about their health, compared to 41 percent more concerned about the economy.
On Oahu, 66 percent said health, while 34 percent said the economy. Kauai County saw the biggest disparity with 71 percent indicating health and 29 percent the economy.
Hawaii County respondents were almost equally split with 52 percent more worried about health and 48 percent more concerned over the economy.
The study noted that there has been a seven-point decline in those who view COVID-19 as more of a health crisis than an economic one, from 70 percent in November to 63 percent in December.
The study called it a “definite area of concern.”
“We see this mindset has a direct correlation to other unwanted behaviors and perceptions regarding the pandemic,” the study said.
Anthology has been tracking resident attitudes and behaviors relating to the pandemic on a regular basis since April.
Residents also were asked if they experienced any mental heath issues over the last six months, such as anxiety, depression, loneliness, panic attacks or overall mental stress.
In Maui County, 82 percent said they did experience mental health issues, the same percentage as on the statewide level.
The study said that women were more likely to report or experience a wider range of mental health issues than men.
Overall, 71 percent of those polled suffered mental stress at some point over the last six months, while 68 percent felt anxiety, 61 percent felt loneliness, 57 percent experienced depression and 33 percent reported panic attacks.
The study pointed out the DOH and University of Hawaii offer a free program to assist with mental health and substance abuse issues — Hawaii Cares. On the Neighbor Islands, the program can be reached at (800) 753-6879.
About 70 percent of the Hawaii residents surveyed said they did not recall hearing about the program.
To view the full results of the study, visit hawaiicovid 19.com/wp-content/uploads/ 2021/02/COVID19-Track ing-Study_DEC20.pdf.