Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Vaccine Hesitancy Is Fading But Still High For Some Areas, Groups
CBS News: COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy Ticks Down But Many Remain Opposed - CBS News Poll
As more Americans receive coronavirus vaccines, the percentage who express hesitancy about doing so has decreased. However, a substantial number continue to say they won't or might not get vaccinated, citing concerns about adequate testing and potential side effects, as well as recent news about clots. This reluctance, if it continues, is one reason some worry about the prospects for attaining herd immunity in the U.S. Overall, six in 10 Americans say they will get vaccinated or report having received at least one dose. That leaves four in 10 who say "maybe" (18%) or "no" outright (22%). While still notable in size, this is four points lower than the percentage who expressed hesitancy last month. It also has decreased noticeably since its February level (measured with a slightly different question). (Khanna, 4/25)
Axios: Vaccine Hesitancy Remains High Among Essential Workers
Essential workers who are not in health care are less likely to want a vaccine than the rest of the general public, according to new figures from the Kaiser Family Foundation. As vaccines become more available, health officials are increasingly grappling with vaccine hesitancy, particularly among those most at risk. According to the KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor, more than 20% of essential workers who don't work in health care settings say they will definitely not get the vaccine, compared to 7% of non-essential workers. (Reed, 4/26)
Stateline: Republican Men Are Vaccine-Hesitant But There's Little Focus On Them
In December, Arizona Republican state Rep. Mark Finchem suffered from flu-like symptoms—headache, fatigue, body aches and chills. But it wasn’t the flu; he tested positive for COVID-19. Nearly three months later, his mother, who had recently contracted the coronavirus, died after battling throat cancer for over 40 years.Those circumstances weren’t enough to persuade Finchem, who is in his early 60s, to get a Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech or Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine. Finchem remains skeptical, he said, because he distrusts the federal government and top public health officials, he’s heard mixed messages about the vaccines on social media and television news, and he worries about long-term side effects. (Wright, 4/23)
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Vaccine Rates In Wisconsin Pro-Trump Counties Lagging, Analysis Shows
Wisconsin counties with the lowest vaccination rates have something in common: overwhelming support for former President Donald Trump. And counties that shifted more Republican, or "red," since 2012 are seeing lower vaccination rates than counties that shifted more blue during the same time period, a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel analysis found. (Spicuzza, Mollica and Barrett, 4/24)
The Baltimore Sun: ‘Did You Get Your Vaccine?’ Amid Pockets Of Resistance, Harford County Battles High COVID Rate
In a county where the COVID rate hovers near the highest in the state, word that parents at several Harford high schools were planning private proms raised some eyebrows if not outright alarm — particularly over one woman’s social media post touting a venue that didn’t “go by COVID restrictions dictated by the Governor.” Harford’s health officer, Dr. David Bishai, said he started “cold-calling” and emailing the parents, telling them he didn’t think they should host such large gatherings, but offering to help make them safer if they did. He could send a mobile unit to test the kids for COVID-19 before their dance, he said, or get them over to Ripken Stadium in Aberdeen, where a mass vaccination site opened on Thursday. (Marbella and Whitlow, 4/25)
Savannah Morning News: Vaccine Uptake Slows In Chatham As COVID Transmission Remains High
COVID-19 vaccinations in Georgia are free, widely available and convenient for many, with free transportation available to mass vaccination sites in Chatham County. But while older Georgians flocked to vaccine appointments, their younger counterparts are less eager. "You'd like for more people to be taking it," said Dr. Lawton Davis, director of the Coastal Georgia Public Health District. "We've got plenty of vaccine, we've got plenty of availability. But outside of the elderly population, we've not had tremendous participation." (Landers, 4/24)
The Hill: Local Doctors Push For Bigger Role As Vaccinations Enter New Phase
The Biden administration sees local doctors as key to the next phase of vaccine distribution, after many family physicians complained they've been left out despite being among the most trusted voices for vaccine-hesitant people. Ada Stewart, president of the American Academy of Family Physicians, likened efforts to get local doctors more access to vaccines to a student with a raised hand who is saying, “Call on me. Call on me.” (Sullivan, 4/25)
