A vaccine for COVID-19 may only effectively stop the spread if enough people take it. /Photo by Javier Zayas Photography / Getty Images
By Jerod MacDonald-Evoy | Arizona Mirror
Arizona public health officials are readying for a rollout of a COVID-19 vaccine in the coming months, but data by health researchers on flu vaccinations suggests that Arizonans might opt not to seek out the vaccination.
Across the country, roughly one-third of Americans already are saying they likely will not get a COVID-19 vaccine, according to recent polling, with many citing concerns around how quickly the process has moved and possible side effects.
Arizona already has a history of anti-vaccination beliefs and has some of the most vaccination exemptions in the country, leading to it being labeled an “anti-vaccination hotspot.” Arizona’s elected officials have entered into the vaccine controversy, including one who called mandatory measles vaccines “communist.”
A recent study by the Kaiser Health Foundation into flu vaccination rates may give some insight into how a COVID-19 vaccine might be accepted.
