More than a third (35 per cent) of Americans say they will not get vaccinated when one becomes available, according to the latest polling.
The coronavirus death toll passed 170,000 in the US yesterday after a further 616 people passed away.
There is now 5.41 million confirmed cases in the country, which is by far the biggest number in the world.
But in spite of the concerning figures, just 60 per cent of people living in the country say they will get vaccinated when a vaccine becomes available, according to an NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll.
There are huge splits by education and party on this. Those with college degrees are 19 points more likely to get vaccinated than those without (72 per cent to 53 per cent),and Democrats are 23 points more likely than Republicans (71 per cent to 48 per cent).
Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has said he is concerned about the unwarranted vaccine skepticism in some of the country and how that could slow overcoming the virus.
“We have to admit and realise that there is an anti-vax movement that we have had to struggle with in this country,” Fauci told the PBS NewsHour last month.
“And I believe the solution to that would be community engagement … because it could be lifesaving, and it certainly would be the solution to this terrible pandemic.”
Related: Ofqual’s algorithm resulted in “rampant” inflation in elitist subjects such as Latin and classics
