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- Americans who have not been vaccinated are more likely to engage in Fourth of July plans.
- About 65% of US adults have received at least one vaccine dose as of Friday.
- For many Americans Independence Day will represent the first "normal" post pandemic holiday.
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Americans who do not plan to get vaccinated are more likely to participate in Fourth of July activities, a new survey from consumer insights firm Numerator found.
About 65% of US adults have received at least one vaccine dose as of Friday, according to The New York Times tracker – a number below President Joe Biden's vaccination goal of 70% by July 4.
Despite increased vaccination levels, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention is still urging unvaccinated Americans to avoid large crowds and practice social distancing from people outside of their household. Earlier this year, Dr. Anthony Fauci warned if cases start to surge again the CDC would be forced to pull back public health measures.
In the survey of over 2,000 Americans, the group found that 64% of unvaccinated individuals plan to celebrate normally as compared to 49% of fully vaccinated US residents. Many plan to host family gatherings, as well as attend large-scale public events like parades and fireworks festivals.
Respondents from regions with lower vaccination rates, including Southern and Midwestern states, were also more likely to engage in Independence Day plans, according to the survey.
Many respondents anticipate Independence Day will be one of the country's first shifts toward a pre-pandemic "normal." One in five people said they anticipate Fourth of July will be their first holiday that will not be impacted by the pandemic.
Fourth of July weekend plans are just one indicator of pent-up demand for travel and leisure activities. Last week, AAA reported more than 47 million Americans have planned an Independence Day getaway - a 40% increase from this time last year.
"The increase in those with summer travel plans has translated to a surge in air travel, lodging stays, restaurant dining, car rentals and other aspects of travel, with the demand leading to higher costs for consumers," Scott Rankin, KPMG's national advisory and strategy leader for consumer & retail analyst, said in a note.
The surge in travel this holiday weekend is set to push gas prices even higher. Many vacationers will also face shortages of key products including fireworks, hot dogs, chlorine, and vacation homes.