WASHINGTON (NEWS10) — On Tuesday, the U.S. Census Bureau released the results of its latest Household Pulse Survey to break down the raw numbers of people who remain unvaccinated. According to the CDC, they represent about 15% of Americans—and of those, about 42% reported that they “don’t trust the COVID-19 vaccine.”
The CDC’s COVID tracker accounts for the unvaccinated as follows:
| Age group | 1-dose | Full series | Booster |
|---|---|---|---|
| ≥5 years old | 242,393,174 78% | 205,187,025 66% | |
| ≥12 years old | 235,862,581 83% | 201,191,857 71% | |
| ≥18 years old | 219,931,775 85% | 187,738,443 73% | 66,002,320 35% |
| ≥65 years old | 55,756,987 95% | 47,952,917 88% | 27,460,091 57% |
| Total | 242,433,620 73% | 205,196,973 62% | 66,366,001 32% |
With roughly 27% of Americans unvaccinated—never having received a single dose of any vaccine—that’s roughly 90 million people. According to the Census, they have many different reasons for avoiding the jab.
The Census survey unvaccinated adults who could select more than one reason. About half—over 44 million—said they were worried about side effects, and under 10% said their doctor hadn’t recommended it. Meanwhile, about 2% reported not being vaccinated because they lacked easy access.
Age, education, marital status
By and large, according to the Census, unvaccinated adults were younger and had lower levels of education than those who had been vaccinated. About three-fourths of the unvaccinated were 50, compared to less than half under 50 among the vaccinated. Respondents with at least one dose were twice as likely to have at least a college degree. The unvaccinated were also 10% more likely to be unmarried.
Race and ethnicity
The Census reports that the proportion of unvaccinated and vaccinated adults were roughly the same among Hispanic and non-Hispanic White adults. But among non-Hispanic Black adults, 13% were unvaccinated, compared to 11% who were vaccinated. And among non-Hispanic Asian adults, 6% were vaccinated and only 1% were not.
Hard to reach
Most of the unvaccinated people who took the survey based their positions on a lack of information and trust. But the Census specifically profiled those who said it’s too difficult for them to get vaccinated. Generally, they were likelier to be:
- Non-white
- Unmarried
- Less educated
- Poor
- Disabled