Covid-19 shots are proven effective at preventing hospitalization, but unvaccinated Republicans in national poll don’t think so

Gallup Inc. found that most Americans overstate the likelihood of being hospitalized after contracting Covid-19 for both the vaccinated and the unvaccinated, which is less than 1 percent, but are fairly accurate at estimating the effectiveness of the vaccines at preventing hospitalization, which is about 86%, Johathan Rothwell and Dan Witters report for Gallup.

The vaccines’ effectiveness is just slightly lower in Kentucky. From March 1 through Sept. 29, the state reports that 86.2% of coronavirus cases, 92.4% of Covid-19 hospital cases and 84.5% of Covid-19 deaths have been in unvaccinated or partially vaccinated Kentuckians.

To better understand what the public understands about the efficacy of the Covid-19 vaccines, Gallup asked 3,158 U.S. adults two questions Aug. 16-22: “As far as you know, what percentage of unvaccinated people have been hospitalized due to the coronavirus?” and “As far as you know, what percentage of fully vaccinated people have been hospitalized due to the coronavirus?”

Subtract the second percentage from the first and you get each group’s perceived effectiveness of the vaccine, which the pollsters call “median efficacy rate.”

Democrats gave the vaccines a median efficacy rate of about 88% at reducing hospitalizations. Independents gave them a rate of 75%. Republicans gave them only 50%. Among unvaccinated Republicans, the rate was zero; they saw no benefit of vaccination to prevent hospitalization.

The correct answer to both questions is less than 1 percent, but only 8% of unvaccinated respondents knew that; and just 38% of the vaccinated knew it.

Among the unvaccinated respondents, 41% of Democrats, 22% of Republicans and 26% of independents said more than half of unvaccinated people have been hospitalized, which is wildly incorrect. Asked about the vaccinated population, 42% of Democrats, 33% of Republicans and 37% of independents knew the correct answer.