The percentage of Americans unwilling to get a COVID-19 vaccine or so uncertain that they have not done so has steadily dropped over the last 9 months, according to a global enterprise technology company that is tracking data on vaccine skepticism.

Morning Consult conducts about 40,000 weekly survey interviews on the vaccine rollout in the United States. The goal is to provide in-depth information on which segments of the population are most and least opposed to vaccinations, as well as the issues driving skepticism.

In the latest data, from surveys conducted from November 2, 2021, to November 8, 2021, among 48,018 U.S. adults, with a margin of error of 1 percentage point, the researchers determined that 26% of Republicans do not plan on getting vaccinated, the highest level of any major demographic group. Less likely to be opposed are older Americans, Democrats, and more well–educated adults.

Still, the report points out that, since Morning Consult began tracking in mid-March, the proportion of total vaccine skeptics has dropped from 39% to 27% of the adult population.

"Drilling down into what's driving skepticism, those who are uncertain tend to be more likely to cite side effects and sped-up approval processes, while those who are unwilling are more likely to say they don't trust the manufacturers or vaccines in general," according to Morning Consult's website.

How much pharmacists have to deal with vaccine hesitancy has a lot to do with where they are located. Based on 208,502 survey interviews conducted between October 9, 2021, and November 8, 2021, Morning Consult calculates state-level vaccine results, using samples sizes for each state ranging from 237 to 18,760, with an average of 4,088 survey interviews per state.

Vaccination unwillingness ranges from a high of 35% in Wyoming to a low of 9% in the District of Columbia and Massachusetts. Other states with high rates of vaccine hesitancy include Idaho, 29%; Oklahoma, 29%; Arkansas, 27%; South Dakota, 27%; North Dakota, 26%; Tennessee, 25%; Alabama, 25%; Mississippi, 24%; and Missouri, 24%.

Also, according to the dashboard, certain occupations, such as agriculture, construction, food & beverage, and retail, have the lowest vaccination rates, ranging from 49% to 64%, respectively. Financial services and insurance have the highest rates, with 74% to 76% vaccinated. Healthcare is somewhere in the middle, with 70% vaccinated.

Morning Consult's interviews are conducted online through multiple nationally recognized vendors. To reach a broad, nationally representative audience in each country, the company uses a stratified sampling process based on age and gender. Daily responses are weighted to approximate a representative sample of adults based on U.S. census data.

The content contained in this article is for informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice. Reliance on any information provided in this article is solely at your own risk.

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