Democrats Fear New COVID-19 Variants More, Trust Vaccine Over Natural Immunity

Most Americans are concerned about new variants of the COVID-19 virus, but Democrats are more concerned than others, and place more trust in vaccines to protect against the disease.

A new national telephone and online survey by Rasmussen Reports finds that 58% of American Adults are at least somewhat concerned about new variants of the COVID-19 virus, such as Delta and Omicron, including 28% who are Very Concerned. Thirty-nine percent (39%) are not concerned about COVID-19 variants, including 16% who are Not At All Concerned. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

Surveys have shown partisan divisions in opinions about the coronavirus ever since the pandemic emerged in early 2020. Far more Democrats (77%) than Republicans (45%) are now concerned about new COVID-19 variants. Those totals include 42% of Democrats who say they’re Very Concerned about new variants of the virus, compared to just 18% of Republicans. Among those unaffiliated with either major party, 50% are concerned about new COVID-19 variants, including 22% who are Very Concerned.

Those who have previously been infected with COVID-19 acquire natural immunity, providing “robust protection against COVID-19 for at least six to eight months after infection,” according to the World Health Organization. The same is true of vaccines. However, most Democrats (61%) believe vaccines are more effective than natural immunity in protecting against COVID-19, while just 17% think natural immunity offers more protection, and only 13% correctly believe vaccines and natural immunity are equally effective.

Among Republicans, 43% think natural immunity is more effective in protecting against COVID-19, and just 25% believe getting vaccinated offers more protection, while 24% correctly say vaccines and natural immunity are equally effective. Among those unaffiliated with either major party, 33% think vaccines are more effective, 31% believe natural immunity is more effective, and 26% correctly answer that vaccines and natural immunity are equally effective in protecting against COVID-19.

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The survey of 1,000 U.S. American Adults was conducted on December 15-16, 2021 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Twenty-one percent (21%) of those surveyed say they have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus, previously been diagnosed with COVID-19, or have reason to believe they have already had COVID-19. Seventy-three percent (73%) have not had the coronavirus.

Sixty-seven percent (67%) have received a COVID-19 vaccine, while 30% have not. The unvaccinated are less worried about new variants of the coronavirus. While 68% of those who have received the COVID-19 vaccine are at least somewhat concerned about new variants, only 38% of the unvaccinated feel the same.

Among those who have already had COVID-19, 54% have also been vaccinated against the disease, while among those who haven’t yet been diagnosed with COVID-19, 73% have gotten the vaccine.

Fifty percent (50%) of those who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 believe that natural immunity is more effective than vaccination in preventing the disease. But among those who have had COVID-19, 46% think vaccination is more effective, while just 23% believe natural immunity provides better protection.

Among those who haven’t yet been vaccinated, 53% believe natural immunity is more effective and only 13% think vaccines provide better protection. The opinions are almost exactly reversed among those who have already gotten the COVID-19 vaccine, 50% believe vaccines are more effective in preventing the disease and just 17% think natural immunity is more effective.

Significantly more Democrats (80%) than Republicans (60%) or the unaffiliated (61%) say they’ve gotten the COVID-19 vaccine. More Republicans (26%) than Democrats (21%) or unaffiliateds (18%) say they have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus, previously been diagnosed with COVID-19, or have reason to believe they have already had COVID-19.

Black Americans (68%) are more likely than whites (57%) or other minorities (54%) to be concerned about new COVID-19 variants. Whites (39%) are less likely than Black Americans (43%) or other minorities (44%) to believe vaccines are more effective than natural immunity in protecting against COVID-19.

Americans 65 and older are most likely to be vaccinated against COVID-19, most likely to be Very Concerned about new variants of COVID-19 and least likely to believe natural immunity is more effective than vaccination in protecting against the disease, 

Among those under 40, more men (51%) than women (38%) believe vaccines are more effective in protecting against COVID-19.

Most voters now disapprove of President Joe Biden’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, saying he broke the promise he made during the campaign last year to “shut down the virus.”

More than half of voters are concerned that COVID-19 vaccines could have harmful side effects, and don’t think the federal government should have the power to make vaccination mandatory.

Additional information from this survey and a full demographic breakdown are available to the public as well as Platinum Members.

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