Poll Shows 87% (!) of Unvaccinated Virginians Don’t Plan To Get COVID-19 Vaccine Because…Really Stupid “Reasons”

From the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association (VHHA):

The results of a recent statewide conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling & Strategy show that nearly seven in 10 Virginia adults (69 percent) indicate they have been vaccinated against COVID-19. Yet among those who haven’t been vaccinated, the majority (87 percent) say they don’t plan to get the vaccine. Virginians also maintain favorable views of hospitals, with some saying their views have grown more favorable as a result of the work of hospitals during the pandemic.

The poll of 800 registered Virginia voters covered a range of questions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, perceptions about hospitals and health insurance companies, and other health care issues and includes these results, among others:

• 83 percent of people view Virginia hospitals favorably and 78 percent said they have had a positive personal or family experience in Virginia hospitals.
• One in four Virginians (25 percent) said the work of hospitals during the pandemic – when hospitals treated and discharged more than 58,000 COVID-19 patients, administered more than 2 million vaccine doses, and served as a first line of public health defense – made their views of hospitals more positive.
• 13 percent of Virginians either personally experienced a mental health or substance abuse challenge during the pandemic or had a close family member who did. Of that 13 percent, 85 percent indicated they had already received treatment for their challenges or plan to seek help, while 11 percent said they don’t plan to pursue treatment.
• Nearly 9 in 10 Virginians (88 percent) now say they feel safe about going to a hospital or doctor’s office to get medical care despite the continued presence of COVID-19. And fewer Virginians are delaying health care services due to COVID-19 concerns. Last year, nearly four in 10 people (39 percent) said they had delayed care due to the pandemic. Now, just 23 percent say they have delayed care. Of those, four in 10 (40 percent) said they still have not rescheduled care they put off during the pandemic.
• A majority (54 percent) believe that Virginia’s Certificate of Public Need (COPN) program should be kept in place, as opposed to just 14 percent who believe it should be eliminated. That is in line with the results of polling conducted in 2020 and 2019 when 59 percent and 55 percent of people, respectively, said that the program should be retained.
• And 74 percent support requiring insurers and drug companies to help fund the annual state share of costs for Medicaid expansion. Those results are consistent with previous polling when 70 percent (2020) and 72 percent (2019) expressed support for this concept. Right now, Virginia hospitals are the only health care sector partners shouldering those costs, which this year will exceed $400 million.