Nearly 40% of Sacramentans say they won’t get a COVID vaccine. Can we reach herd immunity?

Amid rapidly declining demand for COVID-19 vaccines, about two in five people in the Sacramento region said they likely wouldn’t get inoculated, according to a new opinion poll published this week.

The public opinion poll, published by Valley Vision and CapRadio, was conducted by Sacramento State researchers in late March when eligibility was still limited. It may not necessarily reflect current attitudes toward the shots.

Still, it’s a worrying finding, particularly as most Sacramento residents surveyed said they are still reeling from the enormous financial and mental health burdens stemming from the pandemic.

The new report highlights “clear themes that emerged from polling over a year of the pandemic,” Valley Vision CEO Evan Schmidt said in a statement.

“The findings point to the unique challenges our region now faces and where we most need to focus system change to build an equitable recovery,” he said.

The report, released Monday, is the third and final one as part of a series called the COVID-19 Resilience Poll. Researchers at the Sacramento State Institute of Social Research surveyed more than 1,000 residents in the six-county Capital region.

The previous two polls, published last summer and last fall, have consistently found that COVID-19 has unevenly impacted Sacramentans. In particular, residents of color, young people, parents and low-wage workers struggled to pay bills, secure jobs, buy food, get medical help and support their children through online schools..

Nearly 60% of Black respondents had lost income or experienced financial setbacks during the pandemic, this most recent poll found. In comparison, about 55% of Hispanic respondents, 44% of Asian and Pacific Islander respondents, and 32% of white respondents reported similar financial impacts. Parents were more likely to report having lost income during the pandemic, as well as young people.

Overall, more than half of those making less than $30,000 a year cannot or can barely afford to pay their rent or mortgage, bills, or debt. One in three could barely afford to buy enough food.

On top of that, many found their mental health take a nosedive during the pandemic: About 78% of respondents said they had recently felt stress or anxiety, only slightly down from the 84% of respondents back in May 2020. People of color and younger people experienced higher rates of mental and emotional health effects, the study found.

The poll raised concern about the ability of Sacramentans, particularly younger adults, to financially recover as California eyes reopening the economy in June.

The regional studies found that at some points of the pandemic, nearly half of people ages 18 to 38 said they couldn’t afford to pay down debt.

Vaccine hesitancy in Sacramento region

The economic and social recovery of the Capital region could be further hampered by low vaccine rates. Sacramento County remains one of the few counties in California to be in the more restrictive red tier, as more than 100 people a day continue to get infected with COVID-19.

Vaccine skepticism in the region is a major problem, the study found. Researchers found 39% of respondents said that they would probably not or definitely not get a COVID-19 vaccination when it became available to them. Public health experts say vaccinating a high percentage of the population is key for herd immunity.

The people who raised the most skepticism against the vaccine were Republicans, Black respondents, and people making less than $30,000, according to the poll. Concern about possible side effects were the most common reason for hesitancy, followed by concern that the vaccines are too new.

Community advocates have been sounding the alarm for months that historical mistrust in government health programs and the medical system, online misinformation, and language barriers could slow equitable vaccination efforts. And across the country, Republicans are the most vaccine-hesitant demographic, a March poll from PBS NewsHour, NPR and Marist found.

In Sacramento, the lowest rates of COVID-19 vaccinations are currently in low-income neighborhoods of color like Del Paso Heights and Lemon Hills, and in conservative enclaves like Elverta and Rio Linda. Only about 42% of Sacramento County is at least partially vaccinated.

This story was originally published May 12, 2021 at 11:10 AM.