Opinion: Vaccine Hesitancy In The U.S. Is A Peculiar Privilege

https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2021/06/22/ [login to see] /opinion-vaccine-hesitancy-in-the-u-s-is-a-peculiar-privilege
"I want to wait and watch."

This is a peculiar response I receive from my friends and some family members in the United States when I ask them about their thoughts on COVID vaccination. This is a peculiar response for a couple of reasons: COVID vaccines are exceptionally effective, they are now readily available and they are the best way to end the pandemic and return to normalcy.

This skeptical response is reflective of broader trends in the U.S.: an NPR/Marist poll this spring revealed that up to one-fourth of the national population would decline to get vaccinated even when offered.

This is also a very American response in a country where the proportion of fully vaccinated people is now roughly 45%.