Covid-19 vaccine mandates are WELCOME by majority of young Americans, survey shows

15 May, 2021 16:30

A new US poll has found the majority of people between the ages of 18-29 are willing to be vaccinated against Covid-19 to return to work or school, and even more believe they should be.

As pandemic restrictions are slowly rolled back across the US, the idea of mandating Covid-19 vaccines has become a hotly-debated topic. While the concept of vaccine passports remains only a potential reality, young adults appear to be willing to go along with it. 

While 18-29-year-olds remain the age group that is the least vaccinated (and is considered to be the least at-risk from the virus among adults), a majority (66%) say they would get vaccinated if a job or school required it, according to a new poll from Axios/Generation Lab. 

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While numerous companies have been trying to incentivize employees to be vaccinated through bonuses or paid time off, few have made it a requirement. Delta Air Lines, however, announced this week that there will be a vaccine mandate for new hires. 

Even more young people (74%) believe that people ‘definitely’ or ‘probably’ should have to be vaccinated before returning to a setting like school or the workplace. 

Just a quarter of respondents said they ‘definitely’ would not refuse to enter a school or workplace that does not require vaccines. 

The requirement to be vaccinated is a matter of concern for a small part of those polled, as only 15% said they would seek employment or schooling elsewhere if they had not received the shot but their school or employer insists on it. Facing the requirement, 13% would refuse the shot, but would still try to attend classes or go to work, and 2% would find a way to forge proof of vaccination. 

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The Axios poll was conducted earlier this month among over 900 adults between the ages of 18 and 29. 

Previous polling this year found that a quarter of people plan to seek new employment when the pandemic is completely over. In March, a Morning Consult poll found that the percentage is higher for younger people, as 34% of millennials said they plan to do so.

Private companies are not the only ones looking to incentivize vaccines as the job market faces a shortage in employees. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced recently that those who get vaccinated in his state will be entered into a lottery that could earn them $1 million. Other incentives from government officials haven’t been as glamorous. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio was mocked this week after saying in a press conference that New Yorkers were eligible for free meal items from fast food chain Shake Shack if they get inoculated. 

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