Let's Talk About It With Jenny /Why don't more people want the vaccine

In the face od nearly seven million infections and 200,000 death, many Americans refuse to wear masks because they don't feel the coronavirus is real. Even some of those who believe the virus exists are not concerned about getting sick.

Even among those who consider COVID-19 a real concern, there is an uneasiness around the most promising solution to the pandemic which is a vaccine. In an AP-NORC poll in mid May, fewer than 50% of Americans surveyed said they would commit to getting a coronavirus vaccine whenever it becomes available.

Even though vaccines have virtually eliminated the risk of many preventable diseases, there has been an increase in refusal and hesitancy over the past two decades. Typically vaccine refusal is most prevalent in wealthy, white areas, but polls that seek to understand the pending coronavirus vaccine indicate high levels of hesitancy and refusal among marginalized communities too. These groups appear to be the most skeptical with only a quarter of Black respondents and 37% of Hispanic respondents who said they would take the vaccine whenever it was available.