Most American adults believe COVID-19 shots are safe, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national phone and online survey. However, Republicans remain skeptical.
Fifty-seven percent of those polled said they believe the shots are safe, including 32 percent who said they believe the shots are very safe. Thirty-one percent said they do not think COVID shots are safe, including 16 percent who said they are not at all safe.
Effectiveness rates about the same with 54 percent believing the shots are effective and 34 percent doubting their effectiveness.
There’s a big partisan divide, however. Seventy-eight percent of Democrats think COVID shots are at least somewhat effective while just 32 percent of Republicans agree. Unaffiliated voters tend to side with the shots as well as 53 percent said the shots are at least somewhat effective and 35 percent said they are not.
Only 38 percent of Republicans said they believe the shots are safe. But 51 percent of unaffiliated voters and 79 percent of Democrats think they are safe.
Interestingly, government employees are less likely than private sector workers or retirees to believe COVID shots are “very effective.” Seventeen percent of government employees said they believe the shots are very effective while 26 percent of private sector workers and 36 percent of retirees share that sentiment.
