Just 14 percent of US adults now say they won't get the vaccine as opposition appears to be waning, new poll shows.
Following a surge in cases caused by the delta variant and following recent FDA approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, those who are in hard opposition to the vaccine make up a new low of 14 percent.
And 20 per cent of adults say they are not likely to take a coronavirus vaccine, according a Axios-Ipsos poll, down from 34 percent in March.
However, the biggest driver that is pushing people to get vaccinated appears to be work mandates, according to data, as 43 percent said this would make them get the shot.
Most unvaccinated Americans say work mandates would make them get it as just one fifth of US adults now say they won't get the shot as opposition to the vaccine begins to crumble
'Schools, organizations, companies, governments implementing mandates are forcing people to deal with them,' said Cliff Young, president of Ipsos U.S. Public Affairs. 'That's what going on.'
Support for policies such as the use of masks in school and in public spaces remains high, and a further 57% of workers support vaccine requirements from their employer.
Just 20 percent of adults say they are not likely to take a coronavirus vaccine, according a Axios-Ipsos poll, down from 34 percent in March.
The data was released at a time when such mandates gain traction following the federal government's full approval of Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine.
President Joe Biden has also pushed private employers to institute these types of mandates.
The start of the school year has also played a role in attitudes toward the coronavirus vaccine, the report says.
Parents who would vaccinate their child when it's approved for their age group rose to 68 percent, the highest ever recorded. This rose from 56 percent just two weeks ago.
Last week, the nation's top infectious disease expert says the U.S. should expect more vaccine mandates now that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted full approval to Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID-19 shot.
In an interview on MSNBC's Morning Joe, Dr Anthony Fauci said he thinks approval will help push more Americans to get the Covid vaccine because it might reduce their fears about the safety of the shot.
But he added that businesses and schools may feel more comfortable requiring workers or students to get a jab that has full authorization.
'You're gonna see a lot more [vaccine] mandates because there will be institutions and organizations which previously were reluctant to require vaccinations, which will now feel much more empowered to do that,' Fauci said.
'That could be organizations, businesses, colleges, universities. We're even seeing it with the military already.'
However, mandates are a contentious topic with many states outright banning laws that would require workers to be vaccinated.
Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine was the first to receive emergency use authorization from federal regulators in December 2020 and will now be first to be licensed.
Approval for use on an emergency basis means it was considered somewhat experimental despite data showing it is safe and effective.
Emergency use authorization (EUA) requires less clinical trial data, with the FDA only requiring two months of follow-up before approving the shot for those 16 and older last year compared to six months for full approval.
Dr Anthony Fauci said on Tuesday (pictured) that the U.S. should expect to see more vaccine mandates now that Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine receive full approval from the FDA
About 90 million Americans who are eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine have not yet done so, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
If 30 percent of that group decided to get vaccinated, that would mean 27 million additional Americans would be getting shots in arms.
Fauci added that more organizations will require mandates either for their workers or for customers to conduct business.
At a news conference last week, Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby confirmed that the full approval will lead to COVID-19 vaccines being mandated for the U.S. military.
'Now that the Pfizer vaccine has been approved, the department is prepared to issue updated guidance requiring all service members to be vaccinated. A timeline for vaccinated completion will be provided in the coming days,' he said.
And Louisiana State University President William Tate announced two weeks ago that the school will mandate that students receive the vaccine following full FDA authorization.
Earlier this month, Californian Governor Gavin Newsom announced the state will become the first in the U.S. to require that its teachers and other school staff be vaccinated or regularly tested for COVID-19.
The governor announced the new policy at a San Francisco Bay Area school that reopened earlier this week to in-person classes.
The FDA gave the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine full approval. Pictured: A nurse hold a vial of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine at a clinic in Atlanta, Georgia, August 17
Many California schools are back in session, with others starting in the coming weeks.
'We think this is the right thing to do and we think this is a sustainable way to keeping our schools open and to address the number one anxiety that parents like myself have for young children,' said Newsom, who is a father of four.
The new requirement affects California's 320,000 public school teachers and tens of thousands of others - from cafeteria employees to cleaners and even school volunteers.
California, like the rest of the country, has seen a troubling surge in COVID-19 infections because of the Delta variant, which represents the vast majority of new cases. It has affected children more than previous strains of the virus.
California, which has a total population of 39.51 million people, has recorded 4,077,916 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 64,880 deaths.
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