Majority of fully vaccinated Americans still concerned about the Delta variant – poll

Most Americans, including those who are fully vaccinated, are growing concerned about the Delta variant of the coronavirus, according to a new poll.

Over 60% of Americans have concerns about the Delta variant, according to a CBS/YouGov poll published on Sunday. The mutation recently became the dominant variant in Covid-19 cases in the US. White House health officials have used it in their push to get more Americans vaccinated, arguing it is more transmissible and deadly.

Fully vaccinated individuals have turned out to be more worried about the Delta variant, with 72% of those polled saying they are concerned about it. Among respondents who are either unvaccinated or waiting on their second dose, a much lower 48% said it is a worry for them.
As US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy promoted vaccinations on ABC on Sunday, he said the Delta variant is behind upticks in cases and could lead to numerous local governments reinstating their mask mandates, which has already happened in major cities like Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

President Joe Biden and other White House officials have pointed to ‘misinformation’ spreading on social media as a reason for vaccination rates slowing down, but a majority of respondents said they either are or plan to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19, regardless of their political party. 

Democrats remain far more open to the idea, however, with over 80% saying they are or will be fully vaccinated, against 62% of Republicans saying the same. Among Independents, it was still a majority with 67% saying they are or will be inoculated. 

Despite concerns about the Delta variant in the US, the poll did signify an overall positive shift in Americans’ view of the government’s handling of Covid-19. Asked if the fight against the pandemic is “going well” or “badly,” 64% said the former. Asked the same question in January, only 35% of people polled said things were “going well.”

The CBS/YouGov survey was conducted among over 2200 adults and has a margin of error of 2.4%.

If you like this story, share it with a friend!