not used title
not used title
According to researchers writing in The Lancet, we need a majority of Americans to have the confidence to get vaccinated for COVID-19 if we are going to be effective in moving the United States toward population-level control of viral spread. As Dr. Anthony Fauci has noted, “If you have a vaccine that is highly effective and not enough people get vaccinated, you’re not going to realize the full, important effect of having a vaccine.”
The good news is a growing majority of Americans are expressing COVID-19 vaccine readiness. The increase in confidence follows news about the first two COVID-19 vaccines confirmed with over 95% efficacy and the subsequent emergency use authorizations (EUA) granted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for administration of the vaccines to patients.
Recent opinion research conducted by PhRMA[1], Gallup, Ipsos and others confirms this trend, with almost two-thirds of the U.S. public expressing willingness to get a vaccine if one were available to them today. Our most recent tracking survey, conducted with Morning Consult, shows 65% readiness for a vaccine, a 5-point increase from October. Gallup reports the same percentage and Ipsos shows an 8-point confidence boost of late, with 60% overall readiness. The PhRMA poll noted above also shows an 18-point increase in the number of Americans who say they will take a vaccine “right away” (45%, up from 27%).
Another big story in Gallup’s vaccine confidence numbers is the recent change by key subgroups. We have long seen significant differences in attitudes by gender, race, income, education and political party affiliation. Notably, the confidence gap has widened between Democrats (83%, up 8 points since December) and Republicans (45%, down 5 points), as well as between those with a 4-year college degree (77%, up 9 points) and those without (60%, down 1 point). The gender and race gaps, however, have closed over the past month to single digits (3 points and 5 points, respectively).
In line with these numbers is a growing appreciation for the significant value COVID-19 vaccines provide. In our survey noted above, 72% of American voters agree (39% strongly) that vaccines are key to ending the pandemic, and the public widely recognizes that vaccines will not only help save lives (62% likely to happen after a vaccination becomes available) but also restore core aspects of our day-to-day living, including the re-opening of schools (62% likely), businesses (61% likely) and restaurants (58% likely). Recent public polling reinforces theses trend with the Axios-Ipsos Coronavirus Index showing new urgency in plans to be vaccinated, and Pew Research linking intent to be vaccinated to confidence in biopharmaceutical research and development (R&D).
As the biopharmaceutical industry continues to study new and ongoing vaccine candidates through clinical trials, continued education will be critical to recognizing the benefits of the vaccines. We also know there continues to be several important questions from the public about these vaccines. It is critical all health care stakeholders come together to share open, honest and transparent information to help instill confidence.
For more information about the COVID-19 vaccine development, visit https://phrma.org/coronavirus and https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/ or your local health authority’s webpage for information about the ongoing vaccination campaign.
[1] PhRMA Tracking Poll with Morning Consult, January 6-9 2021 (n=1992) registered voters; October 2-4, 2020 (n=1983 registered voters)
Mark Keida
Mark Keida, Ph.D. is Vice President in Public Affairs. He leads PhRMA’s message and polling team, supporting advocacy communications, paid media campaigns and earned media. Mark specializes in using data to guide narrative, campaign strategy and tactics.
Mark Keida
Why smart vaccine policy matters
August 3, 2026
New study: HPV vaccination helps prevent cervical cancer deaths
July 21, 2026
New research reinforces the importance of hepatitis B vaccination at birth
May 21, 2026
World Immunization Week: Putting preventable diseases in the past
April 24, 2026
Survey confirms too many insured Americans face barriers to reliable health care
April 22, 2026
ICYMI: Measles resurgence could cost U.S. nearly $8 billion over five years
April 15, 2026
Americans believe U.S. pharma leadership needs to be protected
February 26, 2026
Why shifting childhood vaccines to “shared clinical decision-making” puts kids at risk
February 23, 2026
50-state poll says Americans are concerned that hospital markups hurt patients
January 27, 2026
Changes to America’s childhood vaccine schedule fail to protect our nation's kids
January 13, 2026
New study: Measles setbacks harm health and America’s economy
October 28, 2025
Why the hepatitis B vaccine matters
October 21, 2025
Vaccines and autism: Decades of scientific evidence find no link
September 22, 2025
Why the vaccine injury program matters
August 18, 2025
Recognizing the importance of vaccination for American health and security
August 4, 2025
Answering common questions on mRNA technology
July 17, 2025
What to know about vaccine ingredients: Aluminum and thimerosal
June 24, 2025
World Immunization Week: Highlighting the importance of vaccines for public health
April 28, 2025
Health care practitioners sound the alarm on middlemen-imposed barriers to patient care, need for policy change
March 13, 2025
What you need to know: Measles and the MMR vaccine
March 10, 2025
Improved treatments continue to lead to declining cancer mortality rates in the U.S.
February 25, 2025
Preventing and fighting disease: A look at the biopharmaceutical progress made for patients in 2024
February 3, 2025
Recognizing the value of disease prevention with Dr. Len Friedland from GSK
December 12, 2024
Leveraging the power of vaccines to prevent antimicrobial resistance
October 31, 2024
From the emergency department to the CDC Advisory Committee: Key takeaways from ACIP’s recent meeting
October 30, 2024
New PES survey: Out-of-pocket costs lead key health care priorities ahead of the November election
October 30, 2024
Americans speak out on health insurance barriers and need for policy change, according to the latest Patient Experience Survey
October 28, 2024
The Patient Perspective: Vaccines
October 23, 2024
Where voters stand ahead of the election
October 16, 2024
Key voter insights two months from Election Day
September 10, 2024
How to protect your children’s health this school year
August 22, 2024
Voters across all 50 states want state policymakers to focus on health insurance and PBM practices
July 30, 2024
New Report: Vaccines continue to drive improved health outcomes
July 16, 2024
New 50-state poll Americans want to hold health insurers and PBMs accountable for high out-of-pocket costs and other practices
July 9, 2024
Showcasing the promise of biopharma at ASCO 2024
June 28, 2024
ICYMI: What patients care about this election year
June 24, 2024
Key election year voter insights
June 6, 2024
ICYMI: Voter priorities this election season
April 18, 2024
World Vaccine Congress: Building on vaccine success
April 1, 2024
Voter insights: Four things to know
March 7, 2024
New poll: Americans agree that expanding the TRIPS waiver will harm U.S. global manufacturing and innovation leadership
January 29, 2024
WHO Pandemic Agreement offers opportunities and risks for American innovators
November 20, 2023
New Report: 1,600 cancer treatments and vaccines in clinical development
November 9, 2023
One year to Election Day: Four voter priorities to watch
November 6, 2023
New poll shows strong bipartisan support for PBM reform
October 20, 2023
What you should know about protecting your health this fall
October 16, 2023
What you need to know: COVID-19 public health emergency is over, but ideological attacks on IP remain
September 12, 2023
Navigating the Patient Experience Survey: Protecting Lifelines to Access and Innovation
July 26, 2023
Three things to know from the latest Patient Experience Survey
July 20, 2023
Key considerations as Congress works towards PAHPA reauthorization
July 12, 2023
A conversation with Dr. Mike Ybarra on the current state of COVID-19
June 27, 2023
4 Things to know about PhRMA’s new 50-state poll
May 4, 2023
Americans want state policymakers to lower out-of-pocket costs
May 1, 2023
What they are saying: Experts reinforce that TRIPS waiver expansion is harmful and unnecessary
April 13, 2023
PhRMA provides comments and testimony to USITC investigation on COVID-19 medicines and the TRIPS Agreement
March 30, 2023
Key Trends: Patient experience data reveal how insurers and middlemen impose barriers in health care
March 29, 2023
Celebrating the success of the COVID-19 vaccines, and looking to the future
March 27, 2023
PhRMA submits comments to OSTP on enhancing clinical trial diversity
March 21, 2023
What we’ve learned from three years of fighting COVID-19
March 20, 2023
U.S. must address IP and market access barriers abroad to protect American innovation
January 31, 2023
In their own words: Insured Americans support policy reforms that address access and affordability concerns
December 14, 2022
In their own words: Financial barriers exacerbate access challenges for insured Americans
December 8, 2022
Word of the Month: What is TRIPS?
November 29, 2022
What you should know about RSV
November 15, 2022
TRIPS waiver expansion risks public health
November 14, 2022
Expanding the WTO intellectual property waiver will hurt American jobs
November 9, 2022
In their own words: Insured Americans struggle to navigate complex coverage
October 26, 2022
Word of the Month: Long COVID
October 19, 2022
Protecting against influenza: A conversation with David Ross, Vice President, Commercial Operations, North America, CSL Seqirus
October 13, 2022
Mental Illness Awareness Week – A time for reflection
October 3, 2022
Partnerships are driving global COVID-19 treatment access
September 22, 2022
The dangers of expanding the TRIPS waiver
September 19, 2022
Navigating the patient experience: Burdens and barriers standing between patients and their care
September 12, 2022
ICYMI: New research builds upon growing body of evidence on value of COVID-19 treatments and vaccines
August 16, 2022
New survey: Voters seriously concerned about fine print in reconciliation bill
August 12, 2022
Survey Says: Prescription drug prices are not fueling inflation concerns for Americans
July 22, 2022
ICYMI: PhRMA’s Ubl pens op-ed on IP waiver for COVID-19 technologies
July 15, 2022
Increase in drug-resistant superbugs during COVID-19 highlights need for policy reforms to address antimicrobial resistance
July 14, 2022
Polling continues to show voters reject so-called Medicare “negotiation” once they learn about consequences for patients
July 12, 2022
3 things voters are concerned about when it comes to their health care coverage
July 7, 2022
COVID-19 vaccines and treatments helped save millions of lives and billions in health care costs
July 7, 2022
ICYMI: Antimicrobial resistance spotlighted as growing public health threat
July 6, 2022
Patients support state action requiring PBMs and insurers to share savings and cap costs for medicines
June 16, 2022
New poll shows voters sounding the alarm on health insurance companies and PBMs
June 6, 2022
Intellectual Property waiver on COVID-19 innovation is unnecessary and harmful
May 23, 2022
ICYMI: PhRMA CEO Stephen J. Ubl spotlights lessons learned during COVID-19
May 13, 2022
ICYMI: PhRMA COO Lori Reilly spotlights efforts to improve health care in 2022 and beyond
May 9, 2022
A conversation with Barry Greene, CEO of Sage Therapeutics
May 4, 2022
Study finds insurance barriers disproportionately burden patients with chronic illness
May 4, 2022
ICYMI: New resource catalogs biopharmaceutical industry lessons learned from COVID-19
April 28, 2022
5 public opinion polling trends to watch
April 22, 2022
The patient experience: Uncovering the barriers to care for insured Americans
March 28, 2022
The patient experience: Insurance barriers continue to impede access to health care, especially among the country’s underserved
February 28, 2022
New Data: COVID-19 vaccine global production capacity projected to exceed 20 billion doses this year
February 24, 2022
What you need to know about newly authorized COVID-19 antiviral treatments
February 22, 2022
Guest post: Joining forces to combat the COVID-19 mental health crisis
February 17, 2022
Guest Blog: COVID-19 vaccines are the key to keeping kids healthy
February 16, 2022
Protecting U.S. innovation abroad to support economic and pandemic recovery
February 1, 2022
New poll of all 50 states and 435 Congressional Districts shows perils of so-called Medicare “negotiation”
January 25, 2022
ICYMI: New report demonstrates growing global impact of antimicrobial resistance
January 24, 2022
Navigating the patient experience in the time of COVID-19
December 6, 2021
Global COVID-19 vaccination matters now and for the future
November 29, 2021
Insurance design barriers can impact patient adherence and can lead to poor health outcomes
November 23, 2021
ICYMI: PhRMA CEO speaks at STAT Summit about government price setting
November 19, 2021
Three things to know about so-called Medicare negotiation polling
November 18, 2021
Understanding breakthrough COVID-19 infections
November 11, 2021
PhRMA submission to 2022 National Trade Estimate Report underscores need for pro-innovation U.S. trade policy to combat COVID-19
October 29, 2021
The patient experience: Insurance design hurdles lead to access issues for too many Americans
October 28, 2021
The patient experience: Out-of-pocket costs are driving patients affordability and access challenges
October 19, 2021
New poll shows Americans reject Medicare negotiation once they learn more about the policy
October 15, 2021
What is Kaiser Family Foundation up to?
October 12, 2021
New report shows 3 in 10 Americans that have insurance still face a financial barrier to care
October 7, 2021
The important role of antivirals in the fight against COVID-19
October 6, 2021
Understanding Long COVID-19
September 29, 2021
A year and a half later: The biopharmaceutical industry remains committed to beating COVID-19
September 8, 2021
The impact of monoclonal antibodies and COVID-19 recovery
September 2, 2021
Recognizing National Immunization Awareness Month
August 31, 2021
Recent polling misrepresents public support for Medicare “negotiation”
August 31, 2021
Driving further innovation is critical to global vaccine equity
August 24, 2021
Myth vs. fact: Polling and Medicare “negotiation”
August 12, 2021
Supporting country readiness to boost global vaccine access
August 12, 2021
Ensuring global vaccine equity requires eliminating trade and regulatory barriers
August 5, 2021
Setting the record straight: Addressing common misconceptions about the COVID-19 vaccine
August 4, 2021
Increasing global access to vaccines by optimizing production
July 29, 2021
Guest post: Retired medics return to the field to take on vaccine delivery and disaster relief
July 23, 2021
Guest Post: A patient’s story of the long-term health impacts of COVID-19
July 21, 2021
Dose sharing as a part of the COVID-19 global vaccine equity strategy
July 20, 2021
Promoting global vaccine equity while protecting innovation
July 15, 2021
Data shows voters strongly support protecting access to their medicines
July 15, 2021
Data shows COVID-19 vaccines are creating a pathway to a strong U.S. recovery
July 2, 2021
PhRMA awards $75,000 to fund initiatives to reduce health inequities
July 1, 2021
More than 800 medicines are in development for diseases that disproportionately affect racial and ethnic communities
June 22, 2021
Americans 12 years of age and older are eligible for COVID-19 vaccines
June 17, 2021
PhRMA hosts first stakeholder workshop on clinical trial diversity
June 11, 2021
Coming together to fight COVID-19: A conversation with Barry Greene, CEO of Sage Therapeutics
June 9, 2021
A year later: Reflections on the meaning of equity
May 25, 2021
ICYMI: PhRMA president and CEO Stephen J. Ubl joins other industry leaders for a conversation on COVID-19 vaccines with Axios
May 21, 2021
Supporting India during the devastating coronavirus surge
May 20, 2021
New polling shows Americans are sounding the alarm on the TRIPS IP waiver
May 14, 2021
The Biden Administration allows politics to upend a pragmatic pandemic response
May 14, 2021
Four solutions Americans support to make health care more affordable
May 13, 2021
PhRMA CAREs Grant request for proposals: Addressing inequities in access to COVID-19 testing, therapeutics and vaccines
May 6, 2021
Ron Busby, Sr., President and CEO of the U.S. Black Chambers, Inc. on improving vaccine confidence in community
May 5, 2021
Reflecting on Mental Health Awareness Month
May 4, 2021
American leadership on innovation policy is essential to global health progress
May 4, 2021
Patient safety is at the heart of COVID-19 vaccine R&D
April 26, 2021
Data shows that Americans are relying on vaccines to get us through the pandemic
April 22, 2021
ICYMI: New CBO Report highlights biopharmaceutical leadership in the development of new treatments and cures
April 12, 2021
Diversifying clinical trials and fighting disease requires equity and trust
April 12, 2021
Data shows that keeping a strong biopharmaceutical industry is important to Americans
March 30, 2021
Building confidence in the COVID-19 vaccine through education
March 22, 2021
ICYMI: WSJ showcases breakthrough science of COVID-19 vaccines and implications for future medicines
March 8, 2021
Intellectual property is the key to vaccine development, manufacturing and technology sharing
March 5, 2021
Coming together to fight COVID-19: A conversation with Paul Perreault, CEO and Managing Director of CSL
February 24, 2021
Fighting variants of COVID-19
February 22, 2021
ICYMI: Report provides actionable recommendations to strengthen America’s preparedness and future health crises response
February 22, 2021
Top five issues voters want addressed in the administration’s first 100 days
February 18, 2021
The latest: What they are saying: Intellectual property protections vital to COVID-19 research, development and manufacturing
February 12, 2021
Lessons learned from COVID-19: The way we develop new medicines is changing
February 10, 2021
The latest misleading “poll” on drug pricing
January 28, 2021
Election insights: Common ground areas to address Americans’ health care concerns
January 26, 2021
Paper finds gaps in health data are a barrier to health equity
January 11, 2021
New research shows hotspots of inequity relate to increased COVID-19 hospitalizations
January 8, 2021
American biopharmaceutical manufacturing: Fueling economic growth now and for years to come
December 21, 2020
Election insights: Voter priorities in the states
December 17, 2020
Strengthening a culture dedicated to patients and equity: A conversation with Percival Barretto-Ko, President of Astellas US
December 16, 2020
Insights from the election: Meeting voters where they are on health care
December 15, 2020
Coming together to fight COVID-19: A conversation with Kabir K. Nath, President & CEO of Otsuka North America Pharmaceutical Bu
December 9, 2020
Guest post: How COVID-19 underscores the importance of public confidence in vaccines
December 7, 2020
Guest Post: Bringing our best to the fight against COVID-19
December 3, 2020
An unprecedented year and the road ahead: A conversation with Giovanni Caforio, PhRMA Chairman and CEO of Bristol Myers Squibb
November 18, 2020
Deep dive: The issues that drove the 2020 vote
November 13, 2020
Understanding the emergency use authorization process for COVID-19 vaccines
November 12, 2020
ICYMI: Addressing health inequities: Biopharmaceutical companies are rising to the occasion
November 2, 2020
U.S. trade policy must prioritize American biopharmaceutical innovation and patient access
November 2, 2020
Voters want to address the real drivers of health care costs for patients and the system
November 2, 2020
Three things you should know about recent health care polling
October 23, 2020
Proposed change to Medicaid line extension definition ignores importance of critical improvements in treatments
October 13, 2020
Flu Season 2020: Why it’s time to talk to your doctor today about getting a flu shot
October 8, 2020
Coming together to fight COVID-19: A conversation with Alexander Hardy, CEO of Genentech
October 1, 2020
Leading researchers to spotlight the critical role of biopharmaceutical R&D
October 1, 2020
Why the U.S. biopharmaceutical industry is leading the charge against COVID-19
September 30, 2020
Coming together to fight COVID-19: A conversation with Ramona Sequeira, President of Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A
September 23, 2020
Coming together to fight COVID-19: A conversation with Albert Bourla, Chairman & CEO of Pfizer, Inc.
September 17, 2020
Guest Post: How proactivity and planning helped Novartis ensure a stable supply of medicines during COVID-19
September 16, 2020
Coming together to fight COVID-19: A conversation with Paul Hudson, CEO of Sanofi
September 2, 2020
The 2020 We Work for Health Champion Awards showcase the best of our industry
August 27, 2020
Summer reading in the age of COVID-19
August 21, 2020
Supporting access to vaccines for Part D beneficiaries
August 12, 2020
The patient perspective navigating COVID-19
August 11, 2020
ICYMI: The latest as America’s biopharmaceutical companies work to beat COVID-19
August 4, 2020
Executive order threatens R&D when we need it most to fight COVID-19
July 30, 2020
The latest: What they are saying: intellectual property protections critical as we work to defeat COVID-19
July 22, 2020
New report shows more than 400 medicines and vaccines in development to tackle infectious diseases, including COVID-19
July 21, 2020
R&D Focus: 5 things to know about the biopharmaceutical research ecosystem
July 13, 2020
PhRMA’s Lori Reilly joined CSG to discuss the industry’s response to COVID-19 and what it means for states
July 13, 2020
New initiative to bridge the gap on antimicrobial innovation
July 9, 2020