Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared on Chamber of Commerce.
Two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, conditions in the U.S. have shown marked signs of improvement.
The emergence of vaccines to protect against COVID-19 in late 2020 helped lay the groundwork for what some are now calling the coronavirus’s endemic stage. An accelerated process of developing, testing, manufacturing, and distributing vaccines has allowed more than 250 million Americans to receive at least one dose since vaccines first became available.
With greater protection, COVID-19’s risk to much of the population has been significantly reduced. For example, during the recent omicron variant wave, vaccinated individuals showed far lower rates of hospitalization and death than their unvaccinated counterparts.
Public health leaders have made efforts to overcome skepticism and resistance to COVID-19 vaccines, but around one-quarter of the total U.S. population still have not received a dose of the vaccine. A large share of hesitation comes from concerns about the vaccine itself: According to survey data from the U.S. Census Bureau, 51.3% of those who are unvaccinated named concern about possible side effects as a reason, and 45.6% said they don’t trust COVID-19 vaccines.
But the choice of whether to get vaccinated has undeniably taken on political character as well. In the same survey data, 37.4% of unvaccinated individuals named not trusting the government as one of the reasons why. Given the government’s key role in supporting the development and distribution of the vaccines, this group will remain difficult to persuade.
To determine the states whose residents don’t trust the government, researchers at ChamberOfCommerce.org calculated the share of unvaccinated adults who cited distrust in the government as one of the reasons for not receiving or planning to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. The data used in this analysis is from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey, collected in the first week of February 2022.
Here are the states whose unvaccinated residents do not trust the government.
15. Georgia
- Share of unvaccinated adults who cited distrust in govt.: 39.1%
- Share of unvaccinated adults who likely won’t get vaccinated: 69.9%
- Share of adults who are unvaccinated: 17.3%
- Total unvaccinated adults who cited distrust in govt.: 493,454
- Total unvaccinated adults who likely won’t get vaccinated: 962,148
- Total adults who are unvaccinated: 1,376,568
14. Tennessee
- Share of unvaccinated adults who cited distrust in govt.: 39.9%
- Share of unvaccinated adults who likely won’t get vaccinated: 73.1%
- Share of adults who are unvaccinated: 21.2%
- Total unvaccinated adults who cited distrust in govt.: 424,499
- Total unvaccinated adults who likely won’t get vaccinated: 813,476
- Total adults who are unvaccinated: 1,112,777
13. North Carolina
- Share of unvaccinated adults who cited distrust in govt.: 40.4%
- Share of unvaccinated adults who likely won’t get vaccinated: 67.3%
- Share of adults who are unvaccinated: 15.9%
- Total unvaccinated adults who cited distrust in govt.: 505,114
- Total unvaccinated adults who likely won’t get vaccinated: 858,913
- Total adults who are unvaccinated: 1,277,151
12. Wyoming
- Share of unvaccinated adults who cited distrust in govt.: 40.5%
- Share of unvaccinated adults who likely won’t get vaccinated: 78.9%
- Share of adults who are unvaccinated: 31.3%
- Total unvaccinated adults who cited distrust in govt.: 53,646
- Total unvaccinated adults who likely won’t get vaccinated: 107,306
- Total adults who are unvaccinated: 136,038
11. Indiana
- Share of unvaccinated adults who cited distrust in govt.: 40.9%
- Share of unvaccinated adults who likely won’t get vaccinated: 74.7%
- Share of adults who are unvaccinated: 21.3%
- Total unvaccinated adults who cited distrust in govt.: 417,793
- Total unvaccinated adults who likely won’t get vaccinated: 796,426
- Total adults who are unvaccinated: 1,066,495
10. Utah
- Share of unvaccinated adults who cited distrust in govt.: 41.3%
- Share of unvaccinated adults who likely won’t get vaccinated: 84.1%
- Share of adults who are unvaccinated: 16.2%
- Total unvaccinated adults who cited distrust in govt.: 151,739
- Total unvaccinated adults who likely won’t get vaccinated: 314,383
- Total adults who are unvaccinated: 373,794
9. Iowa
- Share of unvaccinated adults who cited distrust in govt.: 41.6%
- Share of unvaccinated adults who likely won’t get vaccinated: 74.2%
- Share of adults who are unvaccinated: 18.2%
- Total unvaccinated adults who cited distrust in govt.: 174,974
- Total unvaccinated adults who likely won’t get vaccinated: 313,090
- Total adults who are unvaccinated: 421,691
8. Colorado
- Share of unvaccinated adults who cited distrust in govt.: 41.7%
- Share of unvaccinated adults who likely won’t get vaccinated: 80.8%
- Share of adults who are unvaccinated: 11.3%
- Total unvaccinated adults who cited distrust in govt.: 196,091
- Total unvaccinated adults who likely won’t get vaccinated: 410,331
- Total adults who are unvaccinated: 507,523
7. Minnesota
- Share of unvaccinated adults who cited distrust in govt.: 42.4%
- Share of unvaccinated adults who likely won’t get vaccinated: 81.6%
- Share of adults who are unvaccinated: 12.3%
- Total unvaccinated adults who cited distrust in govt.: 211,575
- Total unvaccinated adults who likely won’t get vaccinated: 421,376
- Total adults who are unvaccinated: 516,695
6. Delaware
- Share of unvaccinated adults who cited distrust in govt.: 42.9%
- Share of unvaccinated adults who likely won’t get vaccinated: 65.9%
- Share of adults who are unvaccinated: 7.9%
- Total unvaccinated adults who cited distrust in govt.: 26,073
- Total unvaccinated adults who likely won’t get vaccinated: 39,685
- Total adults who are unvaccinated: 60,204
5. Oregon
- Share of unvaccinated adults who cited distrust in govt.: 43.1%
- Share of unvaccinated adults who likely won’t get vaccinated: 74.7%
- Share of adults who are unvaccinated: 11.9%
- Total unvaccinated adults who cited distrust in govt.: 158,219
- Total unvaccinated adults who likely won’t get vaccinated: 293,415
- Total adults who are unvaccinated: 392,913
4. Maine
- Share of unvaccinated adults who cited distrust in govt.: 43.3%
- Share of unvaccinated adults who likely won’t get vaccinated: 70.8%
- Share of adults who are unvaccinated: 12.5%
- Total unvaccinated adults who cited distrust in govt.: 54,389
- Total unvaccinated adults who likely won’t get vaccinated: 94,821
- Total adults who are unvaccinated: 134,008
3. Kentucky
- Share of unvaccinated adults who cited distrust in govt.: 44.2%
- Share of unvaccinated adults who likely won’t get vaccinated: 77.8%
- Share of adults who are unvaccinated: 17.9%
- Total unvaccinated adults who cited distrust in govt.: 253,489
- Total unvaccinated adults who likely won’t get vaccinated: 462,058
- Total adults who are unvaccinated: 593,736
2. Montana
- Share of unvaccinated adults who cited distrust in govt.: 51.6%
- Share of unvaccinated adults who likely won’t get vaccinated: 85.6%
- Share of adults who are unvaccinated: 21.7%
- Total unvaccinated adults who cited distrust in govt.: 88,743
- Total unvaccinated adults who likely won’t get vaccinated: 153,472
- Total adults who are unvaccinated: 179,274
1. Alabama
- Share of unvaccinated adults who cited distrust in govt.: 51.7%
- Share of unvaccinated adults who likely won’t get vaccinated: 75.3%
- Share of adults who are unvaccinated: 22.8%
- Total unvaccinated adults who cited distrust in govt.: 418,404
- Total unvaccinated adults who likely won’t get vaccinated: 635,795
- Total adults who are unvaccinated: 844,199
Methodology
The data used in this analysis is from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey, collected in the first week of February 2022.
To determine the states whose residents don’t trust the government, researchers calculated the share of unvaccinated adults who cited distrust in the government as one of the reasons for not receiving or planning to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. In the event of a tie, the state with the higher share of unvaccinated adults who likely won’t get vaccinated was ranked higher.
Adults deemed as those who likely won’t get vaccinated were a combination of respondents who answered either “will probably not get a vaccine” or “will definitely not get a vaccine.”
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