Since the introduction of vaccines for COVID-19, many have pointed to political ideology as an indicator for whether a person chooses to get vaccinated. However, new research from the University of Georgia suggests that in many cases, age might also be a factor.
That is one of the findings in research published by Glen Nowak, a professor in theGrady College of Journalism and Mass Communication. The survey found that older people are more likely to be vaccinated, regardless of political affiliation.
But, political affiliation, along with where you get news, are still important variables. Those two factors were the most consistent predictors of how an individual felt about their COVID-19 risk level and their vaccine intent.
According to the data, liberals saw the virus as a bigger threat than conservatives and were also more likely to accept the vaccine and trust authority figures like the CDC and FDA.
Surprisingly, people who said they get their COVID-19 news from a variety of sources, both conservative and liberal, were more likely to be vaccine hesitant than those who stuck to partisan news sources.
