65% of Americans support vaccine requirements for K-12 schools

Americans’ views on the COVID-19 pandemic are split along party lines, the August 7 - 10 Economist / YouGov Poll finds. However, majorities in both parties believe vaccines are safe and that schools should require them.

A small share (16%) of Americans say the U.S. handled the COVID pandemic better than other countries. 34% say the U.S. handled it worse than other countries, and 35% say about as well as most other countries.

70% of Americans say the COVID pandemic was a national emergency; 23% say it was not. Nearly all Democrats (94%) say it was a national emergency. Republicans are divided: 50% say it was an emergency and 42% say it was not.

The survey also asked what the country should have been more concerned about at the time: protecting Americans from the health effects of COVID or the economic effects of the outbreak. More say there should've been more concern about health effects than economic effects (56% vs. 30%). Democrats choose health effects than economic effects (79% vs. 13%), while slightly more Republicans say economic effects than health effects (48% vs. 35%).

Most Americans (61%) think the country should be doing more to prepare for future pandemics; 34% say it is doing about the right amount, and only 5% think it should do less.

62% of Americans would strongly support (43%) or somewhat support (20%) a policy that made it mandatory to wear masks in public places during a future pandemic and 28% would oppose it. Democrats support such a policy 92% to 4%, while Republicans oppose it 53% to 38%.

There is some agreement between the parties on vaccines: A majority (79%) of Americans say vaccines are very or somewhat safe, including 94% of Democrats, 75% of Independents, and 69% of Republicans. However, Democrats are four times as likely as Republicans to say vaccines are very safe (65% vs. 16%).

65% of Americans say students in K-12 schools should be required to have vaccinations — 87% of Democrats, 57% of Independents, and 54% of Republicans.

Almost everyone who says vaccines are very safe says they should be required in K-12 schools (94%, while only 1% say they shouldn't and 4% aren't sure). Most people who say vaccines are somewhat safe also say K-12 schools should require vaccinations (64%), but larger shares of this group say vaccines shouldn't be required (11%) or aren't sure (24%). Among those who say vaccines are not very safe, 16% support student vaccine requirements and 50% oppose them. Those who say vaccines are not at all safe mostly oppose vaccine requirements (10% support and 75% oppose).

40% of Americans trust the Democrats more to handle vaccines and public health, 26% trust the Republicans more, and 34% say there is no difference. Democrats are more likely to trust their own party than Republicans are (86% vs. 70%).

Image: Getty (adamkaz)

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