Lots Of Michigan Residents Don't Want COVID Vaccine

The state, regional, and county health departments continue their ongoing mission today to get as many people as possible vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus. The new Johnson & Johnson single-dose vaccine may go a long way to increasing the numbers. Health officers say that in turn should turn into lower numbers of people contracting the virus, and reduced symptoms for those who come in contact with it after being vaccinated.

As that effort continues, a lot of people around SW Michigan are hesitant about being vaccinated. There are. A new statewide vaccination poll from Epic-MRA shows stark differences in the numbers by regions of Michigan. The poll was released to the Detroit Free Press and several of its affiliate media organizations around the state.

In our area, 33% of those questioned are against getting vaccinated with 64% saying they are all in. By contrast, the Saginaw Bay and northern thumb area of the state the poll shows 44% don’t want the vaccine, and a slim majority at 51% say they’ll get it. When combining all of those polled across the state, the numbers go up to 70% for vaccination and 27% leaning away from being dosed.

Wood-TV reports a Spectrum Health physician feels if more people had more accurate and verified information about the vaccine they’d go for it. Spectrum Health’s Dr. Russ Lampen calls those people “fence-sitters”. “So these are people that are likely willing or would consider getting the vaccine if they just had more information.”

Dr. Lampen says two accurate sources of vaccine information online are the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Vaccinate West Michigan. Dr.Lampen says the more people who will allow themselves to be vaccinated, the better the chances of keeping the virus under control and turning it into something no worse than seasonal influenza.