OLYMPIA, Wash. — An exclusive KING 5 statewide poll shows that most adults are pleased with the response by Washington state's government to the pandemic and COVID-19 vaccine distribution.
KING 5 polled 650 adults statewide in the past week, asking if the state is doing all it can to vaccinate the public, or if it could be doing more.
Of those 650, 54% said the state is doing all it can, 24 points higher than people who said it could be doing more. The numbers were consistent, with a majority of Republicans, Democrats, and Independents all approving of the state’s approach. Democrats had the highest approval numbers.
But when those same adults were asked if they had been vaccinated, the numbers turned, with 58% saying they were vaccinated, and 41% saying they are not. When broken down by age group, 54% of people younger than 50 said they had not received a shot. People 50 years and older have been vaccinated by an astonishing 49 point margin.
Of people who had not received a shot, 48% said they did not plan to get one. One-third said they intended to. Nearly 70% of self-identifying Republicans said they did not intend to get a shot, compared to 47% of Democrats.
There was also extreme hesitancy in eastern Washington, with 67% of unvaccinated people saying they had no plan to get a vaccine shot.
The same poll also asked whether people thought the vaccine was safe. Of those people, 45% said they feel the vaccine is probably or definitely safe. That number is lower than a similar statewide poll question in February.