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Poll: 47% of Americans Hesitant to Get Covid-19 Vaccine

Many Americans are hesitant to be vaccinated against Covid-19, according to research from Invisibly.

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47% of Americans Still Hesitant to Get COVID-19 Vaccine, New Poll Says

Published: Jan. 22, 2021

By Gail Dutton

BioSpace

 

Americans are still hesitant to be vaccinated against COVID-19, according to just-released research from Invisibly.

The online survey of 5,537 Americans conducted between December 4 and 14, 2020 shows Americans nearly equally divided on their willingness to receive COVID-19 vaccines. Only 53% said they were willing to get the vaccine.

“That’s a shockingly low number, but it corresponds well with what JAMA has reported,” Don Vaughn, Ph.D., a neuroscientist and VP Data & Insights at Invisibly, which conducted the survey, told BioSpace.

The Invisibly poll found that willingness to be vaccinated is tightly linked to trustworthiness. Of those who trust the vaccines to be safe and effective, 81% said they are willing to be vaccinated. Of those who considered the vaccine very untrustworthy, 80% said they were very unlikely to be vaccinated.

Notably, trust in the vaccine and willingness to be vaccinated correlated to race and age, with Caucasian people and those age 55 and older saying they are most likely to take the vaccine. The survey found no other significant correlations among income, education, gender or other demographics.

Source: BioSpace

Those age 55 and older are the group most willing to take the vaccine (67%) but even among this group, 33% said they were unwilling to get the COVID-19 vaccine. The second most likely group to be vaccinated is aged 18-24 (58%), followed by those 45-54 (50%). Only 47% of respondents between ages 25 and 44 said they are likely to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

“We’re seeing numbers now from California, reported in the Los Angeles Times, that 50% of front line healthcare workers (in Riverside County)  and 20-40% of Los Angeles County’s frontline workers refused to take the vaccine,” Vaughn said. “We presume they’re more medically educated, so…” hesitation among those outside of healthcare is less surprising.

Perhaps not surprisingly, people of color are most distrustful of the vaccine and thus the least likely to be vaccinated despite a higher incidence of COVID-19 in their communities. Of those not willing to be vaccinated:

  • 53% are Black
  • 50% are Latinx
  • 48% are of other ethnicities
  • 38% are White

Lisa Cooper, M.D., director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Equity and a former MacArthur “genius” fellow for her work in health disparities, explained the concern on NPR.

“In the Black community, there is skepticism that relates to historical experiences, and mistrust based on the discrimination that Black Americans face in the health care system and in the rest of society. It’s really well-founded,” Cooper said.

The overwhelming reason for this reluctance appears to be distrust of these vaccines (44%). Reports indicate that people are confused by medical terms and don’t understand how a safe vaccine was developed without cutting corners.

Vaughn has an additional explanation.

“A lot of people want to wait a bit,” Vaughn said.

An ABC poll confirmed it, with 44% of those respondents preferring to wait to see how those receiving the initial vaccines fared before rolling up their own sleeves.

In the Invisibly poll, most respondents said they will return to pre-pandemic activities only when officials say it is safe, while 23% said they would resume normal activities after most people are vaccinated. Until then, 75% said they plan to continue wearing a mask and social distancing. Notably, 25% said there are unlikely to wear a mask after vaccination.

Also, 47% of respondents think children should be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 before returning to in-person learning. Given the low incidence of COVID-19 among children, 30% said vaccination should not be required for children and 23% were unsure.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report for January 13, “Reported incidence and positive test results among children aged 0–10 years were consistently lower than those in older age groups.” Of the nearly 2.9 million laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in people younger than age 24 since the outbreak began, about 16% occurred in children aged 14-17; nearly 8% in those 11-13 years old; 11% in those 5-10 years old; and slightly more than 7% in those age 4 or younger.

Larry Corey, professor of medicine, Johns Hopkins Medical School, showed Kaplan-Meier curves concurrent with vaccine roll out that showed differences in the infection rate between vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals for both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.

The key to increasing vaccination rates begins with clear communication that translates the medical jargon into everyday language, followed by strategies that deliver ample quantities to vaccine where they are needed and clear guidance as to who is eligible to received the vaccines at given points in time.

For example, Washington state just entered Phase Ib of its vaccination plan and launched an online questionnaire  (http://www.FindYourPhaseWA.org) to help people know when and how to get vaccinated.

There’s still some confusion, though. One of the Phase Ib criteria includes people age 50 and older who live in multigenerational households. The definition of “multigenerational” in this context raises questions. The Washington State Department of Health defines it as two or more generations living together, although it’s often defined as three or more generations living together or grandparents caring for grandchildren. By way for example, the Washington State Department of Health says, “Think of a person over 50 who cannot live independently and receives long-term care from a caregiver, lives with someone who works outside the home, or lives with and cares for a grandchild.” Additional guidance is expected.

Regardless, throughout all 50 states and U.S. territories, people are queuing for vaccinations. Now that nearly 17 million doses of the vaccine have been administered, Vaughn said Invisibly plans to conduct another poll “in about a month,” to see whether attitudes have changed.

 

BioSpace source:

https://www.biospace.com/article/47-percent-of-americans-still-hesitant-to-get-covid-19-vaccine-new-poll-says

 

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Low Iron Levels In Blood Could Trigger Long COVID: Study

Low Iron Levels In Blood Could Trigger Long COVID: Study

Authored by Amie Dahnke via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

People with inadequate…

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4 hours ago

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March 9, 2024

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Low Iron Levels In Blood Could Trigger Long COVID: Study

Authored by Amie Dahnke via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

People with inadequate iron levels in their blood due to a COVID-19 infection could be at greater risk of long COVID.

(Shutterstock)

A new study indicates that problems with iron levels in the bloodstream likely trigger chronic inflammation and other conditions associated with the post-COVID phenomenon. The findings, published on March 1 in Nature Immunology, could offer new ways to treat or prevent the condition.

Long COVID Patients Have Low Iron Levels

Researchers at the University of Cambridge pinpointed low iron as a potential link to long-COVID symptoms thanks to a study they initiated shortly after the start of the pandemic. They recruited people who tested positive for the virus to provide blood samples for analysis over a year, which allowed the researchers to look for post-infection changes in the blood. The researchers looked at 214 samples and found that 45 percent of patients reported symptoms of long COVID that lasted between three and 10 months.

In analyzing the blood samples, the research team noticed that people experiencing long COVID had low iron levels, contributing to anemia and low red blood cell production, just two weeks after they were diagnosed with COVID-19. This was true for patients regardless of age, sex, or the initial severity of their infection.

According to one of the study co-authors, the removal of iron from the bloodstream is a natural process and defense mechanism of the body.

But it can jeopardize a person’s recovery.

“When the body has an infection, it responds by removing iron from the bloodstream. This protects us from potentially lethal bacteria that capture the iron in the bloodstream and grow rapidly. It’s an evolutionary response that redistributes iron in the body, and the blood plasma becomes an iron desert,” University of Oxford professor Hal Drakesmith said in a press release. “However, if this goes on for a long time, there is less iron for red blood cells, so oxygen is transported less efficiently affecting metabolism and energy production, and for white blood cells, which need iron to work properly. The protective mechanism ends up becoming a problem.”

The research team believes that consistently low iron levels could explain why individuals with long COVID continue to experience fatigue and difficulty exercising. As such, the researchers suggested iron supplementation to help regulate and prevent the often debilitating symptoms associated with long COVID.

“It isn’t necessarily the case that individuals don’t have enough iron in their body, it’s just that it’s trapped in the wrong place,” Aimee Hanson, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Cambridge who worked on the study, said in the press release. “What we need is a way to remobilize the iron and pull it back into the bloodstream, where it becomes more useful to the red blood cells.”

The research team pointed out that iron supplementation isn’t always straightforward. Achieving the right level of iron varies from person to person. Too much iron can cause stomach issues, ranging from constipation, nausea, and abdominal pain to gastritis and gastric lesions.

1 in 5 Still Affected by Long COVID

COVID-19 has affected nearly 40 percent of Americans, with one in five of those still suffering from symptoms of long COVID, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Long COVID is marked by health issues that continue at least four weeks after an individual was initially diagnosed with COVID-19. Symptoms can last for days, weeks, months, or years and may include fatigue, cough or chest pain, headache, brain fog, depression or anxiety, digestive issues, and joint or muscle pain.

Tyler Durden Sat, 03/09/2024 - 12:50

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Government

Walmart joins Costco in sharing key pricing news

The massive retailers have both shared information that some retailers keep very close to the vest.

Published

7 hours ago

on

March 9, 2024

By

As we head toward a presidential election, the presumed candidates for both parties will look for issues that rally undecided voters. 

The economy will be a key issue, with Democrats pointing to job creation and lowering prices while Republicans will cite the layoffs at Big Tech companies, high housing prices, and of course, sticky inflation.

The covid pandemic created a perfect storm for inflation and higher prices. It became harder to get many items because people getting sick slowed down, or even stopped, production at some factories.

Related: Popular mall retailer shuts down abruptly after bankruptcy filing

It was also a period where demand increased while shipping, trucking and delivery systems were all strained or thrown out of whack. The combination led to product shortages and higher prices.

You might have gone to the grocery store and not been able to buy your favorite paper towel brand or find toilet paper at all. That happened partly because of the supply chain and partly due to increased demand, but at the end of the day, it led to higher prices, which some consumers blamed on President Joe Biden's administration.

Biden, of course, was blamed for the price increases, but as inflation has dropped and grocery prices have fallen, few companies have been up front about it. That's probably not a political choice in most cases. Instead, some companies have chosen to lower prices more slowly than they raised them.

However, two major retailers, Walmart (WMT) and Costco, have been very honest about inflation. Walmart Chief Executive Doug McMillon's most recent comments validate what Biden's administration has been saying about the state of the economy. And they contrast with the economic picture being painted by Republicans who support their presumptive nominee, Donald Trump.

Walmart has seen inflation drop in many key areas.

Image source: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Walmart sees lower prices

McMillon does not talk about lower prices to make a political statement. He's communicating with customers and potential customers through the analysts who cover the company's quarterly-earnings calls.

During Walmart's fiscal-fourth-quarter-earnings call, McMillon was clear that prices are going down.

"I'm excited about the omnichannel net promoter score trends the team is driving. Across countries, we continue to see a customer that's resilient but looking for value. As always, we're working hard to deliver that for them, including through our rollbacks on food pricing in Walmart U.S. Those were up significantly in Q4 versus last year, following a big increase in Q3," he said.

He was specific about where the chain has seen prices go down.

"Our general merchandise prices are lower than a year ago and even two years ago in some categories, which means our customers are finding value in areas like apparel and hard lines," he said. "In food, prices are lower than a year ago in places like eggs, apples, and deli snacks, but higher in other places like asparagus and blackberries."

McMillon said that in other areas prices were still up but have been falling.

"Dry grocery and consumables categories like paper goods and cleaning supplies are up mid-single digits versus last year and high teens versus two years ago. Private-brand penetration is up in many of the countries where we operate, including the United States," he said.

Costco sees almost no inflation impact

McMillon avoided the word inflation in his comments. Costco  (COST)  Chief Financial Officer Richard Galanti, who steps down on March 15, has been very transparent on the topic.

The CFO commented on inflation during his company's fiscal-first-quarter-earnings call.

"Most recently, in the last fourth-quarter discussion, we had estimated that year-over-year inflation was in the 1% to 2% range. Our estimate for the quarter just ended, that inflation was in the 0% to 1% range," he said.

Galanti made clear that inflation (and even deflation) varied by category.

"A bigger deflation in some big and bulky items like furniture sets due to lower freight costs year over year, as well as on things like domestics, bulky lower-priced items, again, where the freight cost is significant. Some deflationary items were as much as 20% to 30% and, again, mostly freight-related," he added.

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Government

Walmart has really good news for shoppers (and Joe Biden)

The giant retailer joins Costco in making a statement that has political overtones, even if that’s not the intent.

Published

7 hours ago

on

March 9, 2024

By

As we head toward a presidential election, the presumed candidates for both parties will look for issues that rally undecided voters. 

The economy will be a key issue, with Democrats pointing to job creation and lowering prices while Republicans will cite the layoffs at Big Tech companies, high housing prices, and of course, sticky inflation.

The covid pandemic created a perfect storm for inflation and higher prices. It became harder to get many items because people getting sick slowed down, or even stopped, production at some factories.

Related: Popular mall retailer shuts down abruptly after bankruptcy filing

It was also a period where demand increased while shipping, trucking and delivery systems were all strained or thrown out of whack. The combination led to product shortages and higher prices.

You might have gone to the grocery store and not been able to buy your favorite paper towel brand or find toilet paper at all. That happened partly because of the supply chain and partly due to increased demand, but at the end of the day, it led to higher prices, which some consumers blamed on President Joe Biden's administration.

Biden, of course, was blamed for the price increases, but as inflation has dropped and grocery prices have fallen, few companies have been up front about it. That's probably not a political choice in most cases. Instead, some companies have chosen to lower prices more slowly than they raised them.

However, two major retailers, Walmart (WMT) and Costco, have been very honest about inflation. Walmart Chief Executive Doug McMillon's most recent comments validate what Biden's administration has been saying about the state of the economy. And they contrast with the economic picture being painted by Republicans who support their presumptive nominee, Donald Trump.

Walmart has seen inflation drop in many key areas.

Image source: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Walmart sees lower prices

McMillon does not talk about lower prices to make a political statement. He's communicating with customers and potential customers through the analysts who cover the company's quarterly-earnings calls.

During Walmart's fiscal-fourth-quarter-earnings call, McMillon was clear that prices are going down.

"I'm excited about the omnichannel net promoter score trends the team is driving. Across countries, we continue to see a customer that's resilient but looking for value. As always, we're working hard to deliver that for them, including through our rollbacks on food pricing in Walmart U.S. Those were up significantly in Q4 versus last year, following a big increase in Q3," he said.

He was specific about where the chain has seen prices go down.

"Our general merchandise prices are lower than a year ago and even two years ago in some categories, which means our customers are finding value in areas like apparel and hard lines," he said. "In food, prices are lower than a year ago in places like eggs, apples, and deli snacks, but higher in other places like asparagus and blackberries."

McMillon said that in other areas prices were still up but have been falling.

"Dry grocery and consumables categories like paper goods and cleaning supplies are up mid-single digits versus last year and high teens versus two years ago. Private-brand penetration is up in many of the countries where we operate, including the United States," he said.

Costco sees almost no inflation impact

McMillon avoided the word inflation in his comments. Costco  (COST)  Chief Financial Officer Richard Galanti, who steps down on March 15, has been very transparent on the topic.

The CFO commented on inflation during his company's fiscal-first-quarter-earnings call.

"Most recently, in the last fourth-quarter discussion, we had estimated that year-over-year inflation was in the 1% to 2% range. Our estimate for the quarter just ended, that inflation was in the 0% to 1% range," he said.

Galanti made clear that inflation (and even deflation) varied by category.

"A bigger deflation in some big and bulky items like furniture sets due to lower freight costs year over year, as well as on things like domestics, bulky lower-priced items, again, where the freight cost is significant. Some deflationary items were as much as 20% to 30% and, again, mostly freight-related," he added.

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