Impressions of the vaccine among the focus group member ranged from calling it “a miracle, albeit suspicious” to “unproven”, “rushed,” and “scary, not knowing the long-term side effects.”
“The one group least likely to take this vaccine are Trump voters, particularly younger Trump voters,” Luntz explained. “And it’s going to take an appeal from the medical community, from the doctors themselves, face to face with their patients, giving the vaccines in the doctor’s office rather than these mass [vaccination] sites. That’s going to move people, and they’ve got to be moved if we’re going to get to herd immunity.
The pollster added that a public service announcement featuring past U.S. presidents urging the public to get vaccinated had no effect on his respondents.
“Trump voters want to hear the science. They want to hear the medicine. They want to hear from doctors. They do not want to hear from previous presidents.”