Goodbye Grinch: Kentuckians not changing holiday plans due to pandemic
New poll also shows majority open to annual COVID-19 boosters
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (December 13, 2022) – Concerns about COVID-19 won’t keep Kentuckians from attending or hosting gatherings this holiday season. That’s according to a new poll commissioned by the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky. More than 8 in 10 Kentuckians responded it was “not too likely” or “not likely at all” that COVID-19 would keep them from holiday gatherings. Further, compared to Healthy Kentucky’s Vaccines in Kentucky Poll conducted this summer, more Kentuckians said the pandemic is over in the Commonwealth and in their own lives.
“Almost three years into this pandemic, Kentuckians have found ways to live with the threat of COVID-19,” said Ben Chandler, president and CEO, Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky. “That means we must stay vigilant – washing our hands often, staying home when sick, and keeping up to date on our immunizations, both for COVID-19 and the flu shot.”
The poll also showed nearly three-quarters of vaccinated Kentuckians were either “very likely” or “somewhat likely” to receive a COVID-19 booster shot if it is recommended to be taken annually, similar to the flu shot. The groups most resistant to getting annual boosters in the future were people who live in suburban counties (37.1 percent) and those ages 30 to 45 years (39.5 percent) reported they were “not too likely” or “not likely at all” to receive an annual booster. About 75 percent or higher of people living in rural and urban counties, as well as those in all other age groups, responded they were “very likely” or “somewhat likely” to receive a COVID-19 booster on an annual basis.
The Vaccines in Kentucky Poll has been conducted four times since February 2021. It shows Kentuckians’ opinions have changed as to whether receiving the COVID-19 vaccine is a personal choice or is part of everyone’s responsibility to protect the health of others. In February 2021, Kentuckians were split nearly evenly on the topic. In August 2022, polling showed almost 63 percent believed it was personal choice. Now, the number of people selecting personal choice is more than 65 percent.
Another change in perception is the number of unvaccinated people who said they will “definitely not get the vaccine” is larger. This fall, the poll showed 75.2 percent of those who have not received a COVID-19 vaccine said say they will “definitely not get the vaccine,” while the number of those who will “wait until it has been available to see how it is working for other people,” and those who will “only get it if required by work, school or other activities” has dropped. Over the summer, 63.5 percent said they will “definitely not get the vaccine.”
The Vaccines in Kentucky Poll was conducted October 29 to December 4, 2022 by the University of Cincinnati’s Institute for Policy Research and commissioned by the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky. A random sample of 855 adults from throughout Kentucky was interviewed by telephone. The margin of error was +/-3.4%. (Note: On the question to unvaccinated participants on whether they would receive the COVID-19 vaccine, the number of people surveyed was 237 and the margin of error was +/-6%.)
The Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky, in partnership with the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS), is engaged in a campaign to encourage Kentuckians to learn about the risks of COVID-19, including long COVID, talk with their health care provider, and decide what’s best for them and their families when it comes to getting the COVID-19 vaccine and boosters. Learn more about the campaign and download resources here.
This campaign and related materials is supported by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $1,060,234 funded by HHS. The contents are those of the author(s), and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by, CDC/HHS, the U.S. government, the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services, or the Commonwealth of Kentucky.