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There is little difference in reluctance to take the coronavirus vaccine among Black and white people in the U.S., according to the 

Among those who responded to the survey, 73 percent of Black people and 70 percent of White people said that they either planned to get a coronavirus vaccine or had done so already; 25 percent of Black respondents and 28 percent of white respondents said they did not plan to get a shot. Latino respondents were slightly more likely to say they would not get vaccinated at 37 percent, compared with 63 percent who either had or intended to get a vaccine. 

The findings come amid concerns in some states over who is getting vaccinated and who is not, with data in some states suggesting stark racial disparities. The pandemic has had an outsized impact on people of color, especially Black Americans. 

The survey of 1,227 adults was conducted March 3 to 8. Respondents were contacted on mobile and landline phones by callers who conducted interviews live in English and Spanish. The poll has a margin of error of 3.4 percentage points, with greater statistical variation possible among subgroups.

Horace Hill, a 61 year old Black man from Tulsa, Okla., said he had an appointment to get his first dose of the coronavirus vaccine on Friday. 

He said his health is a high priority for him, and hasn't had issues with the traditional flu vaccine, and so he decided to take the shot when it became available to him.

His parents, who are in their eighties, received their vaccines about two weeks ago.

"I asked them specifically, 'Have you guys had any problems?' " Hill said. "My father was like, 'No, your mother and I, we feel good!' "

Overall, 67 percent of people said they had either planned to get a coronavirus vaccine, or had done so already. Thirty percent said they did not plan to get a shot. 

While there was little racial difference in who wants the vaccine, there were sharp partisan differences, according to the poll.

Among Republican men, 49 percent said they did not plan to get the shot, compared with just 6 percent of Democratic men who said the same. Among those who said they supported President Trump in the 2020 election, 47 percent said they did not plan to get a coronavirus vaccine compared with just 10 percent of Biden supporters.

Similarly, compared with "big city" respondents, rural residents were more likely to say that they did not plan to take a coronavirus vaccine. 

Health

COVID-19

Juana Summers

Author

An NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll shows 1 in 4 Black people do not plan to get vaccinated. Despite the attention on concern among Blacks, nearly 30 percent of whites feel the same way.

Little difference in vaccine hesitancy among white and Black Americans, poll finds

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