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- A new poll shows that nearly two-thirds of Americans are concerned about the Delta variant of the coronavirus.
- Those who are fully vaccinated for COVID-19 are more concerned than those who are not vaccinated, according to a CBS News poll conducted by YouGov.
- The poll results come amid a rise in COVID-19 cases due to the Delta variant.
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Sixty-two percent of Americans are concerned about the Delta variant strain of the coronavirus that is causing a rise in infections across the US, according to a CBS News poll conducted by YouGov published Sunday.
The poll shows that 72% of Americans who are fully vaccinated for COVID-19 are concerned about the spread of the variant, compared to 48% of those who are not vaccinated or are only partially so.
-CBS News Poll (@CBSNewsPoll) July 18, 2021
The Delta variant is now dominant in the US, responsible for more than half the cases in the country. Cases have surged, particularly in areas where vaccination rates are low. And officials are urging unvaccinated Americans, who make up an overwhelming majority of hospitalizations, to get the shot.
"There is a message that is crystal clear: this is becoming a pandemic of the unvaccinated," CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said during a press briefing on Friday. "We are seeing outbreaks of cases in parts of the country that have low vaccination coverage because unvaccinated people are at risk."
The CBS poll shows that 53% of those who are unvaccinated are "worried about side effects." It also shows a rise in mistrust for the government and science as reasons contributing to their vaccine hesitancy.
The survey was made up of a sample of 2,238 Americans from July 14 to July 17, and the margin of error was 2.4 percentage points, according to CBS News.