Trendspotting: Pandemic Pessimism Strikes Back

NewsWire: 9/3/21

• America’s pandemic pessimism has returned. As the delta variant spreads like wildfire, most Americans now say—again—that the worst is yet to come. (The Wall Street Journal)
• NH: In the spring and early summer, as vaccines became widely available, most Americans said that the worst of the pandemic was behind us. But with the spread of the delta variant, pessimism has surged. Most Americans (54%) now, once again, say that the worst is yet to come. This is up 30 percentage points since June.

• These results are mirrored in a new Associated Press-NORC poll, which found that anxiety over Covid-19 has climbed to its highest level in many months. 41% of Americans are “extremely” or “very” worried about themselves or their family getting infected, compared to 21% in June. The last time worries were this high was in January.
• What might lead Americans to feel more optimistic? The AP-NORC poll found that supporters of vaccine mandates outnumber opponents two-to-one, whether it's for traveling on an airplane (57% support, 25% oppose), attending crowded public events (56% vs. 27%), or going to a bar or restaurant (51% vs. 28%). The same holds for support for making vaccines mandatory in the workplace.
• In recent weeks, the number of Americans getting their first vaccine dose has picked up. It’s now up more than 70% since mid-July. Another Axios/Ipsos poll found that vaccine hesitancy has fallen to a new low. With kids heading back to school, the willingness of parents under 12 to vaccinate their kids has jumped--and fewer adults than ever (20%) say they won't get the shot. 

• While factors like delta’s surge and the FDA’s approval of the Pfizer vaccine have played a role, the biggest shift among adults was seen among those who said an employer mandate would make them likely to get vaccinated (43%, up 10 percentage points since last month). That's human nature for you. Now that people are being compelled to do something, they're coming up with reasons why it's OK after all.
• Currently, the share of companies who are requiring employees to get vaccinated is still relatively low. In the Axios/Ipsos poll, 19% of respondents said that their employers were mandating vaccinations, up from 16% two weeks ago. But this is expected to jump. Just over half (51%) of employers say they plan to implement mandates by Q4 2021. While the rise of mandates has drawn strong resistance from GOP leaders, it appears that for many Americans, they can’t come fast enough.