(PJ Media) In new polling, Rasmussen asked Americans about their perceptions of COVID-19 vaccine safety.
Among respondents, 71% report receiving at least a portion of the vaccine series. It is easy to see how partisanship has impacted COVID shot uptake. While 85% of Democrats report receiving the shots, only 63% of Republicans and 64% of unaffiliated voters report the same.
Yet, despite a majority reporting that they have taken the shots, almost 50% believe it is at least somewhat likely that side effects of COVID-19 vaccines have caused a significant number of unexplained deaths.
All men and people between 18 and 39 agree with the statement at the highest rates. This coincides with the cardiac side effect profile for men under 40 and the excess death rates reported by insurance actuaries in the working-age population.
And, despite the partisan differences in vaccine uptake, 51% of Democrats agree the shots could cause the recent uptick in unexplained deaths. Only 34% of unaffiliated Americans feel the same way, pulling down the overall result.
Respondents with children at home believe vaccines may cause death at the highest rate of 58%. Among parents, 34% say it is very likely. This may explain poor uptake for the initial series in children five and under and low booster uptake in children under 18.
When the pollster asked if respondents thought they knew someone who died because of side effects from the COVID-19 vaccine, the results were astonishing. Nearly one-third of all adults said yes. Among those 18-39, 35% thought they might know someone who died because of the vaccine. Perhaps because of high vaccination rates, 33% of Democrats reported having this suspicion, while only 26% of Republicans and unaffiliated voters did.
Overall, 48% of those polled believe that there are legitimate reasons to be concerned about the safety of COVID-19 vaccines, while 15% are undecided. Those who think there are valid concerns include 83% of those who believe vaccine side effects may cause recent unexplained deaths and 76% of those who suspect they may know someone who died this way.
