University of Wyoming
February 12, 2021 – The number of Wyoming residents who say they are likely to or have received the COVID-19 vaccine has remained flat since early November, according to a new survey by the University of Wyoming’s Wyoming Survey and Analysis Center (WYSAC).
Just under two-thirds (62 percent) of Wyomingites say they are very or somewhat likely to get the COVID-19 vaccine when available to them or that they already have received at least one dose. Alternatively, 7 percent say they are somewhat unlikely, while nearly a third of Wyoming residents (31 percent) say they are very unlikely.
In follow-up questions of those who say they are unlikely to receive the vaccine, over two-thirds (69 percent) say that concerns about side-effects are a major reason. Additionally, 54 percent say they do not think they need it, and 56 percent say a major reason they are unlikely to get the vaccine is they want to know more about how well it will work.
“A majority of those who have not yet received the vaccine say they do not have enough information about the potential side-effects,” says Brian Harnisch, senior research scientist in charge of the project at WYSAC. “Additionally, it appears that residents still have questions about the effectiveness of the vaccine, as well as when and where people like them will be able to get the vaccine.”
Over half (55 percent) of residents who have not received the vaccine say they do not have enough information about when they will be able to get it, while 44 percent say they do not have enough information about where they will be able to get the vaccine. Sixty-three percent of those who have not received the vaccine say they do not have enough information about the side-effects, and 56 percent say they do not have enough information about the effectiveness.
The survey was conducted for 24 hours beginning on Monday, Feb. 1, and is the 13th of multiple surveys WYSAC is conducting to measure public opinion on a number of topics related to COVID-19. A total of 526 Wyoming residents participated in the survey representing all Wyoming counties, with a margin of error of plus or minus 4.3 percentage points.
Other findings from the latest survey:
— Self-reported mask use in indoor public places has declined slightly since early January, with 72 percent of residents saying they always or often wear a mask in this situation.
— Asked to reflect on 2020 overall, 47 percent of Wyoming residents say they approve of how Donald Trump handled COVID-19 in the U.S., while 51 percent say they disapprove.
— Asked how Joe Biden is handling COVID-19 in the US, 42 percent of Wyoming residents say they approve, while 43 percent say they disapprove. Additionally, 15 percent say they are not sure how he is handling the pandemic.
To see the survey methodology, chart, figures, and complete survey results, go to https://wysac.uwyo.edu/wysac/reports/View/7716