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COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in the United States

COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in the United States is the sociocultural phenomenon of individuals refusing or displaying hesitance towards receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in the United States can be considered as part of the broader history of vaccine hesitancy.

See also: COVID-19 vaccine misinformation and hesitancy and COVID-19 vaccine

Reasons[edit]

The reasons for hesitancy towards COVID-19 vaccine are complex and vary between individuals, including concerns about side effects of the vaccination,[36] wanting to wait to see if the vaccine is safe,[36] and believing misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines[12] promulgated by conspiracy theories, including but not limited to incorrect beliefs that vaccines contain microchips from Bill Gates to track and control people, intentional side effects, infertility, and permanent genetic alteration.[12] Claims that a previous exposure to the virus gives a superior natural immunity versus the vaccine have been scientifically dismissed.[37][38] Additional reasons for COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy include fears about long-term health risks of vaccination,[12] belief in the strength of the body's "natural immune system" to fight infections without any vaccine,[38] mistrust in government,[39] and mistrust in mainstream medicine and institutions.[40] Local politics, including gubernatorial edicts against vaccine mandates as in Texas, also play a role in shaping public opinion.[41]


African Americans are more likely to be unvaccinated due to institutional mistrust.[42][43]

Legal[edit]

There have been many lawsuits seen throughout the United States aimed against the vaccine mandates that were implemented in 2021. Two Staff Sergeants, one from the Army the other from the Marines, sued three federal agencies against their plans to conduct mandatory vaccination of all military troops, as military regulations state that troops can be exempted from vaccination showing documented previous infection.[44] After the announcement of President Joe Biden of a country wide vaccine mandate in September 2021, many organizations and politicians such as the Republican National Committee, South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, and Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich stated they would sue the administration.[45]


Generally litigation for vaccine injury claims against manufacturers are filed with the United States Court of Federal Claims, sitting without a jury and compensation is provided by the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. The Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act (PREP Act) was invoked for Medical Countermeasures Against COVID-19 on March 17, 2020.[46] Under the PREP Act the HHS secretary provides legal protection to manufacturers of vaccines and treatments, unless there's willful misconduct,[47][48] barring liability cases from vaccine injury despite low payout rates from the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program.[49]