Table 1. Reasons for not getting a COVID-19 vaccine, by essential worker group and vaccination intent, United States, March–June 2021*.
| Reason | All groups, n = 5,308 |
Healthcare personnel,
n = 1,308 |
Frontline workers,
n = 2,300 |
Other workers, n = 1,700 |
|||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | R, n = 714 | RL, n = 1,059 | Total | R, n = 121 | RL, n = 197 | Total | R, n = 316 | RL, n = 437 | Total | R, n = 277 | RL, n = 425 | ||||
| Possible side effects |
58.0 (55.0–60.9) |
59.5 (54.7–64.2) |
57.3 (53.4–61.1) |
|
58.3 (50.6–65.7) |
55.5 (44.1–66.4) |
60.4 (50.2–69.9) |
|
57.9 (53.3–62.3) |
58.4 (51.0–65.5) |
57.6 (51.5–63.5) |
|
58.0 (53.3–62.6) |
62.3 (54.5–69.7) |
55.1 (49.2–60.9) |
| Wait and see if it is safe |
42.9 (40.1–45.8) |
54.4 (49.5–59.3)
|
35.2 (31.6–38.9) |
|
46.3 (39.1–53.7) |
57.7 (46.3–68.5)
|
41.0 (31.6–50.9) |
|
41.4 (37.3–45.7) |
50.4 (43.5–57.3)
|
35.0 (29.9–40.4) |
|
43.0 (38.2–47.9)
|
57.6 (49.2–65.7) |
32.1 (26.9–37.8) |
| Do not trust the vaccine |
41.9 (39.0–44.8) |
22.3 (18.6–26.4)
|
56.2 (52.3–59.9) |
|
45.2 (37.7–52.8) |
21.2 (13.3–31.1)
|
57.9 (48.2–67.2) |
|
41.3 (37.0–45.6) |
24.9 (19.1–31.5)
|
54.2 (48.2–60.2) |
|
41.0 (36.6–45.5)
|
19.8 (14.4–26.3) |
57.3 (51.4–63.0) |
| Vaccine is not needed |
25.7 (23.1–28.5) |
10.5 (7.8–13.7)
|
36.6 (32.8–40.5) |
|
23.7 (17.3–31.1) |
8.5 (4.2–15.0)
|
31.8 (22.6–42.1) |
|
24.2 (20.5–28.2) |
10.8 (7.1–15.6)
|
34.4 (29.0–40.2) |
|
28.3 (24.1–32.8)
|
10.9 (6.3–17.2) |
41.8 (36.0–47.7) |
| Concern about allergic reaction |
25.0 (22.6–27.5) |
26.7 (22.8–31.0) |
23.9 (20.8–27.2) |
|
23.0 (17.7–29.0) |
32.6 (22.5–44.1)
|
17.3 (11.9–24.0) |
|
26.1 (22.4–30.0) |
23.5 (18.3–29.4) |
28.4 (23.2–33.9) |
|
24.9 (20.8–29.2) |
28.1 (21.3–35.8) |
22.6 (18.0–27.7) |
| Vaccine might not work |
24.3 (21.8–27.0) |
19.9 (16.3–23.9)
|
27.8 (24.2–31.5) |
|
28.5 (21.6–36.2) |
17.7 (11.1–26.3)
|
34.3 (24.8–44.8) |
|
22.6 (19.3–26.3) |
17.1 (12.3–22.9)
|
27.1 (22.3–32.4) |
|
24.2 (20.2–28.6) |
23.8 (17.6–30.9) |
24.8 (19.6–30.5) |
| Others need vaccine more |
19.0 (16.8–21.4) |
28.7 (24.8–32.9)
|
12.2 (9.8–14.9) |
|
14.9 (9.8–21.3) |
19.7 (11.9–29.8) |
12.6 (6.3–21.7) |
|
18.2 (15.1–21.6) |
26.0 (20.1–32.5)
|
12.4 (9.2–16.1) |
|
21.8 (18.1–26.0)
|
35.1 (27.9–42.9) |
11.8 (8.3–16.2) |
| COVID-19 is not a threat |
18.7 (16.5–21.0) |
8.6 (5.9–12.0)
|
25.9 (22.9–29.2) |
|
16.3 (11.0–22.8) |
3.1 (0.8–7.9)† |
23.3 (15.5–32.6) |
|
17.6 (14.6–21.0) |
10.4 (6.2–16.1)
|
23.2 (18.9–28.0) |
|
21.0 (17.4–24.9)
|
8.6 (4.3–15.0) |
30.4 (25.3–35.9) |
| Do not like needles |
10.4 (8.6–12.5) |
12.3 (9.1–16.1) |
9.2 (6.9–11.9) |
|
8.7 (4.5–14.8) |
6.6 (1.7–16.7)† |
9.8 (4.3–18.4)† |
|
11.2 (8.5–14.5) |
14.7 (9.9–20.6) |
8.8 (5.6–13.0) |
|
10.4 (7.5–13.9) |
11.8 (7.0–18.3) |
9.3 (6.1–13.6) |
| Obstacles prevent vaccination |
5.1 (3.8–6.8) |
6.7 (4.4–9.6) |
4.0 (2.4–6.3) |
|
6.5 (2.8–12.6)† |
7.5 (3.2–14.5)† |
6.0 (1.4–15.9)† |
|
4.9 (3.2–7.2) |
6.2 (3.7–9.7) |
3.8 (1.7–7.2)† |
|
4.7 (2.7–7.6) |
6.8 (3.0–13.1)† |
3.1 (1.6–5.5) |
| Concerned about cost |
4.6 (3.2–6.5) |
7.2 (4.5–10.8)
|
2.8 (1.5–5.0) |
|
3.8 (1.4–8.0)† |
7.0 (1.6–18.2)† |
2.1 (0.4–6.2)† |
|
3.6 (2.0–6.0) |
5.8 (3.0–10.1) |
2.0 (0.5–5.3) |
|
6.2 (3.4–10.2) |
8.8 (3.9–16.7)† |
4.2 (1.5–9.1)† |
| Community members are not getting vaccinated | 3.1 (2.2–4.2) | 2.6 (1.6–4.1) | 3.4 (2.2–5.1) | 1.2 (0.3–3.2) | 1.3 (0.1–5.5)† | 1.2 (0.2–3.9) | 4.0 (2.5–6.1) | 2.9 (1.3–5.4) | 4.9 (2.6–8.4) | 2.9 (1.7–4.6) | 2.9 (1.3–5.6) | 3.0 (1.3–5.6) | |||
*Values are reported as % respondents (95% CI). n values indicate unweighted sample size/denominator. Bold text indicates statistical significance (p<0.05) between reachable and reluctant groups; reluctant group is the referent. R respondents were defined as adults who probably would or were unsure about getting a COVID-19 vaccine. RL respondents were defined as adults who probably or definitely would not get a COVID-19 vaccine. COVID-19, coronavirus disease; R, reachable; RL, reluctant.
†Estimates do not meet the National Center for Health Statistics standards of reliability (https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/series/sr_02/sr02_175.pdf).