Harvard Opinion Research Program (HORP)
The Harvard Opinion Research Program (HORP) conducts and analyzes public opinion research about public health and emergencies, health care policy, economic and social policies, international public health, and elections, revealing the attitudes and experiences shaping health and politics across the U.S. and around the world.
Email
gsteel@hsph.harvard.edu
Phone
617-432-2859
Public Views of H1N1 Vaccine: Update – January 2010
FIELD DATES: January 20-24, 2010
SELECT FINDINGS:
- Americans’ beliefs about the H1N1 flu outbreak – Almost half of Americans believed the H1N1 flu outbreak was over (44%), and levels of concern about getting sick with the virus continued to decline. Few (18%) thought it was “very likely” there would be another widespread outbreak of the H1N1 virus in the U.S. during the next 12 months, although a larger share of the population (43%) said such an outbreak was “somewhat likely.”
- H1N1 vaccine uptake – More than half of parents (53%) either got the vaccine for their children (40%) or intended to get it before the end of February 2010 (13%). Among adults, 37% either got the H1N1 vaccine for themselves (21%) or intended to do so before February ends (16%). The poll also revealed a substantial share of adults who said they have not gotten the vaccine and did not intend to (61%).
- Shortage of H1N1 vaccine – After an initial period of vaccine shortage, 70% of adults said there was currently enough vaccine in their community for everyone who wanted it, which was significantly more than in December (48%) or November (21%). However, 12% thought there was still a shortage in their community.
- Satisfaction with public health response – A majority of adults (59%) rated the overall response of public health officials to the H1N1 outbreak as “excellent” or “good.” Conversely, 39% rated the overall response as “fair” or “poor.” In the view of more than half of adults (54%), public health officials spent “the right amount” of attention on the H1N1 flu outbreak, but 26% said they spent “too much” attention, and 16% said they spent “too little.”
METHODS AND SAMPLE: Telephone poll conducted with a nationally representative sample of 1,419 respondents age 18 and older, including 377 parents. The sample included 130 Hispanics and 160 African Americans.
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