Vaccination, politics and COVID-19 impacts

The development of safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines provides a clear path to bring the pandemic to an end. Vaccination rates, however, have been insufficient to prevent disease spread. A critical factor in so many people choosing not to be vaccinated is their political views. In this study, a path model is developed and tested to explore the impacts of political views on vaccination rates and COVID-19 cases and deaths per 100,000 residents in U.S. counties. The data strongly supported the model. In counties with a high percentage of Republican voters, vaccination rates were significantly lower and COVID-19 cases and deaths per 100,000 residents were much higher. Moving forward, it is critical to find ways to overcome political division and rebuild trust in science and health professionals.

Automated summary

The development of safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines provides hope for ending the pandemic, but insufficient vaccination rates contribute to disease spread. Political views play a critical role in vaccination decisions, with counties in the U.S. with a high percentage of Republican voters showing significantly lower vaccination rates and higher COVID-19 cases and deaths per 100,000 residents. Rebuilding trust in science and health professionals is essential to overcoming political divisions and increasing vaccination rates.