As the vaccination campaign gains steam in the United States, the country is beginning to see its first signs of vaccine hesitancy, explained in part by a stark political divide.
In a new CBS News poll, a third of Republicans said they would not get vaccinated — compared with 10 per cent of Democrats — and another 20 per cent of Republicans said they were unsure. Previous polls have found similar divides.
The resistance to vaccines is a huge challenge for President Biden, who is pressing to inoculate as many Americans as possible, especially with more contagious variants of the virus on the rise.
Partisan perceptions of the coronavirus have complicated Mr Biden's task, especially related to former President Donald Trump. Although Mr Trump was quietly vaccinated during his last days in office, many of his supporters appear reluctant to do so, and he has not played any prominent role in promoting vaccination.
Mr Biden has been dismissive of the idea of enlisting his predecessor to reach out to conservatives, though Dr Anthony Fauci said that it would "make all the difference in the world" if Mr Trump would encourage his supporters to get vaccinated. Instead, Mr Biden has said he would work toward getting community leaders like local doctors and preachers on board.
As more doses become available in the coming weeks, vaccine scepticism is likely to become more prominent. Some Native American tribes that have already vaccinated large percentages of their members are already seeing it.
The Cherokee Nation, for example, has administered 33,000 doses across its reservation in Oklahoma. After inoculating health care workers, Cherokee-speaking elders and essential workers, the tribe opened appointments to anyone who lives there. But hundreds of available appointments have gone unclaimed.
The reasons for vaccine hesitancy are many, from questions about the efficacy of the shots, side effects and the speed at which they were developed. Republicans often cite distrust of government as a reason not to get vaccinated. Some Native Americans point to the government's legacy of medical malpractice in their community.
In some cases, persuading reluctant Native Americans to sign up for a shot has required only a small nudge — like additional information or a doctor's recommendation. But in others, it has required more effort, like getting health workers to knock on doors, often in remote places, and engage in long conversations with plenty of patience.
Similar laborious efforts may have to be scaled up as the country strives for herd immunity, tries to get the economy back on track and seeks a return to a more normal way of life.
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COVID-19 deaths worldwide as of March 17, 2021, by country
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COUNTRY CONFIRMED DEATHS
United States 29,330,512 532,951
Brazil 11,483,370 278,229
India 11,409,831 158,856
United Kingdom 4,268,821 125,690
France 4,078,133 90,788
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