Three-quarters of Arizonans would take COVID-19 vaccine at some point

Nearly three-quarters of Arizonans, or 73%, said they will take or consider taking a federally approved COVID-19 vaccine, but most said they’d like to wait until others have taken it rather than taking it right away. That number breaks down to 31.6% who will take it ASAP while 41.6% would wait awhile. Another 18% said they wouldn’t take it.

Republicans were more willing to take the vaccine as soon as they can, while more Democrats and independents said they’d “wait awhile until others have taken it,” according to the poll. 

About 9% of Democrat respondents said they will not take the vaccine, compared to 25% of Republicans and 21% of Independents and other voters.

The Suffolk University/USA TODAY Network poll surveyed 500 likely Arizona voters on issues ranging from the new coronavirus to the November election. The poll was conducted by phone between Saturday and Wednesday.

Poll respondents were split in thirds between registered Democrats, Republicans and independents. Respondents were from across the state and diverse in terms of age, ethnicity and income level.

The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points.

David Hammond, a 36-year-old Democrat from north Phoenix, said he’d like to take the vaccine but wants to wait to “see how it plays out” and to make sure it’s been tested enough.

“Particularly with the administration in the White House, they’re so damn concerned with getting something out before the election, that I’d just be concerned that something is pushed out before it’s been fully vetted,” he said.

James Slagle, 73, said he will take the government-approved vaccine as soon as it’s available to him, “without a doubt.”

Slagle, a registered Republican from Tucson, said as a retired Air Force colonel and negotiator, he knows what the U.S. government is capable of and will certainly take the vaccine. While he said his age plays a factor in his eagerness for a vaccine, he mostly wants to see the country return to business as usual.

“It’s on everybody’s mind, and if it isn’t, it should be,” he said of the virus. “We need to solve this problem and move on with our lives and get our economy back.”

If the vaccine was required by the federal government, Arizona residents were a bit more wary. About half those surveyed said they’d take the vaccine, 37% said they wouldn’t and 11% said they were undecided.

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Described as a “leading candidate” by experts, the vaccine developed by Oxford is starting late stage trials in Arizona.

Arizona Republic

Arizonans also weighed in on how President Donald Trump has handled the pandemic response. About 36% of respondents said he’s done an excellent or good job while 61% said Trump’s approach has been fair or poor.

Arizona had reported 219,212 identified COVID-19 cases and 5,674 known deaths as of Thursday. In July, the state was the national hotspot for spread of the virus.

Arizona has one of the highest overall rates of COVID-19 infection in the country — fifth behind Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida and Alabama as of Thursday.

Arizona’s infection rate is 3,047cases per 100,000 people, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The national average is 2,180 cases per 100,000 people, though the rates in states hard-hit early on in the pandemic may be an undercount due to a lack of available testing in March and April.