A new report from The Covid States Project examines reasons why people do or don't get coronavirus vaccinations, with a heavy emphasis on why unvaccinated people remain so.

From April through July, researchers surveyed nearly 21,000 people in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., collecting open-ended and multiple-choice responses. Though the polling doesn't differentiate rural/urban differences, rural residents are among the most likely to resist coronavirus vaccination.

Pollsters asked respondents why they would or wouldn't get vaccinated against the coronavirus. Among those who gave reasons why they wouldn't get vaccinated, the most common answer (35%) was "perception of risk," the belief that vaccines pose a health risk. Another 24% said they were uncertain about the risks of the vaccines, particularly because they are new, and the perception that they were developed too quickly and/or not tested enough. Some 15% said it was lack of trust in institutions (such as public health agencies or news stories) that say the vaccines are safe, and 12% said they don't believe Covid-19 poses a major risk to them. Only 3% said life constraints (transportation or job difficulties) have kept them from being vaccinated, and 1% said it was a fear of needles. About 9% listed other reasons such as religious beliefs, constitutional rights, and general opposition to all vaccines.

Read the full article about COVID-19 vaccine refusal by Heather Chapman at The Rural Blog.