Acceptance of COVID-19 vaccine is rising, but so is pessimism about getting back to normal; Some Health workers still reluctant

Exclusive: Acceptance of COVID-19 vaccine is rising, but so is pessimism about getting back to normal A USA TODAY/Suffolk University Poll finds more Americans believe the COVID-19 vaccine is safe, but doubts about getting back to normal is on the rise. YahooNews

Acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine continues to soar, a new USA TODAY/Suffolk University Poll finds, but pessimism is also on the rise about when things in the United States will get back to normal.

Both results may be signs that the messages from President-elect Joe Biden are being heard. He has taken the vaccine himself, and on camera – something President Donald Trump hasn't done – and he has cautioned that the pandemic is going to get worse before it gets better.

Now 56% of those surveyed say they will get the vaccine as soon it was available to them, a jump of 10 percentage points since the USA TODAY poll in December and up 30 points since October.

"The more people that get a vaccination and they see that it's safe ... then more people are willing to go get it," said Shellie Belapurkar, 50, a nurse-practitioner from Nashua, New Hampshire, who was among those surveyed. She has gotten the vaccine herself and has been volunteering at a clinic each week to give it to others.

"It's all about education, and I don't think we've educated our population nearly enough to the dangers" of the coronavirus, she said in an interview.

Most of the shift has come from those who were reluctant to get the vaccine until others had taken it first. Those who expressed that view made up 47% in October, 32% in December and just 22% now. ...

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