Changes In Perceptions Around COVID-19 Vaccine
June 17, 2021
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As the world continues its shift to a new sense of normalcy, one of the most recent adjustments has been the lifting of mask mandates. While this has been one of the biggest changes we’ve seen in recent months, it certainly isn’t the only one. In this blog, we are continuing our exploration of public opinions and perceptions regarding a return to normalcy — this time with a focus on people’s attitudes toward masks.
On May 13, the CDC updated its guidelines to say that fully vaccinated people do not need to wear a mask, except when required to do so by federal or local rules, such as business and workplace guidance. After respondents were alerted of this update to CDC guidelines, they were asked under which specific circumstances they would wear a mask. The most common situations in which respondents said they would continue to wear a mask are in grocery and retail stores that have a mask requirement, in hospital or medical settings, and on public transportation.
Mask Attitudes and COVID-19 Vaccination Status
Keeping in mind that the CDC guidelines from May 13 were meant for those who were fully vaccinated, respondents were also segmented into two groups — those who reported receiving the COVID-19 vaccine and those who did not. When comparing these two groups, we see that they have the same top few circumstances under which they would wear a mask; however, there are some significant differences in the proportion of respondents who are actually willing to wear one.
Overall, those who are vaccinated against COVID-19 were more likely to agree that they would wear a mask in any situation than those who are not vaccinated. This is surprising considering the CDC guidelines at the time recommended that while those who are vaccinated do not have to wear a mask, those who are not vaccinated should continue to do so.
Respondents were also asked to provide their opinions on wearing a mask by choosing whether they prefer to wear a mask, and why they feel that way. The most common response was that respondents prefer to wear a mask because it makes them feel safer. 29% of total respondents felt this way, although when segmented by whether or not they are vaccinated against COVID-19, we can see a 6% difference between groups.
9% of total respondents stated they prefer not to wear a mask with the reasoning that they do not believe it is necessary for their health and safety. Comparing respondents based on their COVID-19 vaccination status, we see that only 5% of those who are vaccinated felt this way, while 14% of those who are not vaccinated did.
8% of total respondents said that they do not have any preference around wearing or not wearing a mask. Only 4% of vaccinated respondents felt this way, but 14% of non-vaccinated respondents did.
Respondents were also asked how effective they believe masks are in protecting their health and safety. In total, 45% of respondents believe that masks are “very effective.” 40% believe masks are “somewhat effective” in protecting their health and safety, and 15% believe masks are “not at all effective.”
When respondents are segmented by their COVID-19 vaccination status, there are some significant differences in their perceived efficacy of masks. 56% of those who are vaccinated believe masks are very effective in protecting their health and safety, whereas only 26% of those not vaccinated feel the same. Meanwhile, 30% of those who are not vaccinated against COVID-19 believe masks are not at all effective in protecting their health and safety, while only 7% of those vaccinated would agree.
Attitudes Differ by Panel
The proportion of total respondents who stated masks are “very effective” also varies significantly by panel. For example, 50% of respondents from panel G believe masks are very effective in protecting their health and safety. Meanwhile, only 37% of respondents from panel C said that masks are very effective. Other variance can be seen across all panels.
The shift back to a mask-less world is one that will require a lot of adjustment for many people and it’s crucial that we keep changing attitudes and behaviors top of mind during this time. Check out some of our other blogs in relation to COVID-19 and the new normal:
