2 In 5 NJ Residents Say They Won’t Take Coronavirus Vaccine: Poll

NEWARK, NJ — There are several potential vaccines for the coronavirus entering the final stages of research in the United States, with some of the largest players in the pharmaceutical industry throwing their weight behind the effort. But if a company does finally manage to come up with a vaccine, about one in four New Jersey residents say they won’t take it, according to a recent poll.

On Tuesday, Rutgers-Eagleton researchers released the results of a poll that tried to get a bead on the Garden State’s current feelings about a COVID-19 vaccine.

Between 36 percent and 47 percent of respondents said they “probably” or “definitely” won’t get vaccinated against COVID-19. When asked to explain why not, here’s what they said their “major reasons” were:

• 80 percent cited a concern about side effects
• 82 percent cited the need for more information about how the vaccine works
• 25 percent said they don’t feel that they need it
• 15 percent cited the potential cost of the vaccine

“With the recent positive news from Pfizer and Moderna, it is likely that public opinion on immunization will continue to shift and evolve,” said Ashley Koning, assistant research professor and director of the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling (ECPIP) at Rutgers University–New Brunswick.

“But right now, a large portion of New Jerseyans are still wary, which makes any future messaging encouraging vaccination that much more important,” Koning added.

Researchers noted that the way the question was phrased impacted the replies they got from participants:

“When framed as a ‘first-generation’ vaccine, 17 percent say they would ‘definitely’ and 32 percent say they would ‘probably’ get vaccinated. The numbers increase to 20 percent ‘definitely’ and 33 percent ‘probably’ when asked simply about a ‘vaccine.’ Respondents are most enthusiastic – 36 percent ‘definitely’ and 24 percent ‘probably’ – when it is described as ‘safe and effective.’”

“The more the vaccine is described with some sense of certainty, the more agreeable residents are to getting it,” Koning said.

Vaccine or no vaccine, New Jersey residents don’t see the Garden State returning to normal anytime soon, pollsters stated.

• 42 percent feel New Jersey will not be back to normal until six months to a year from now
• 30 percent feel it will take longer than a year
• Only 23 percent believe “things will be better” within the next six months

Other highlights from the poll include:

• 66 percent of New Jerseyans say they know someone who has tested positive for coronavirus
• 71 percent are “very” or “somewhat” worried that they or someone in their household will get sick from the coronavirus

The statewide poll of 1,001 adults was conducted by live callers on landlines and cell phones from Oct. 18 to 24. The full sample has a margin of error of +/- 3.8 percentage points. Learn more about the methodology here.

• See related article: NJ Prepares To Distribute COVID-19 Vaccine: 'We Will Be Ready'
• See related article: New Jersey Mayor Says Coronavirus Vaccine Trial Causing Fear In City
• See related article: NJ Ramps Up For 'Equitable' COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout

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