(WWJ) Nearly 60% of adults over 50 said they will get the COVID-19 vaccine after it becomes available, according to a poll through the University of Michigan.
U of M's National Poll on Healthy Aging said 58% of adults between the ages of 50 and 80 said they are "somewhat to very likely" to get vaccinated against the virus.
The percentage goes up to 66% when the researchers switched up the wording of the question.
Only 20% said they would roll up their sleeves as soon as the vaccine became available, while 46% said they would prefer to allow others to receive the injection first before doing it themselves.
Another 20% expressed ambivalence about getting it, while 14% do not want it at all.
Poll director and specialist, Preeti Malani, spoke live on WWJ, saying people in certain demographics were far more likely to agree to getting vaccinated right away—including men, white people, people over the age of 65, and those with higher levels of education.
"I am very encouraged by the numbers," Malani said.
People of color, people ages 50 to 64, those with lower levels of education and women were less likely to want the injection at all, according to the poll.
"The thing that is concerning to me is that women are most often the decision makers for their families," Malani said. "So if you have a woman that doesn't want to be vaccinated, perhaps her whole family will not get vaccinated."
Only 40% of older adults who are Black and 51% who are Hispanic said they were "somewhat or very likely" to get vaccinated.
The nation's top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, said in an interview with Bloomberg a total of 75% to 85% of the adult population has to be vaccinated in order to achieve herd immunity against the virus.
Here in Michigan: 88% (8,740 out of 9,854) of those who passed away after testing positive for COVID-19 were over the age of 60. 7.2% (712) were between the age of 50 and 59. See the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services report on the ages, and demographics of those who passed away from COVID-19.
Nearly 95,160 residents over the age of 60 have been diagnosed with COVID-19, making the statewide mortality rate 9.1% for the 60+ age group. Over 62,000 between the ages of 50 and 59 have tested positive, making the mortality rate for their age group just over 1%. See the MDHHS's report on those who tested positive for the virus here.
2,784 of the Michiganders who passed away from the virus were Black, out of 45,360 who tested positive, making the fatality rate 6.1%.
Comparatively, the fatality rate among people who are white is 2.7% (6,063 deaths out of 219,397 cases).
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said five vaccines candidates were in late-stage clinical trials as of November 24. The Moderna and Pfizer vaccines—which have both shown to be about 95% effective in final stage trials—are expected to be rolled out in limited quantities by the end of the year. They are both awaiting FDA approval. Click here for the CDC's Frequently Asked Questions about COVID-19 vaccines.
The CDC selected healthcare workers to get the first doses, followed by nursing home residents and workers. Health officials say the vaccines will likely be available to the general public by mid to late spring.
