Results of Yellowstone Co. COVID-19 Vaccination Survey Released

Over the past couple of weeks, RiverStone Health has been compiling data from an anonymous online survey that asked Yellowstone County residents how interested they were in receiving the COVID-19 vaccination.

According to the results, a "great majority" of residents around Billings "definitely or probably plan" to receive the vaccine.

More than 4,000 Yellowstone County residents completed the survey from RiverStone Health between December 18 and January 15, and about 69 percent responded that they would "definitely" get the vaccine when it's available to them.

The results from the community COVID-19 vaccination survey are promising. Our local survey mirrors a December 2020 Kaiser Family Foundation national survey that found 71% of Americans would ‘definitely or probably’ get a COVID-19 vaccination when it was available to them. Our results are slightly better at 79% saying they would ‘definitely or probably’ get vaccinated. -John Felton, Yellowstone County Health Officer and President/CEO of RiverStone Health

The most common concern about the vaccine, from those who were reluctant, were the possible side effects. Concerns about the safety of the vaccine, and whether it has been tested in enough "people like me," were other concerns expressed in survey responses, according to the press release.

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Almost 70 percent of those who took the online survey said they were currently in the category to receive the COVID-19 vaccination because of "age, health history or because they are healthcare workers."

The survey results also revealed that about 68 percent of respondents were "very concerned or somewhat concerned about getting the virus themselves." Almost 90 percent of those who took the survey are "very or somewhat concerned" about spreading the virus to others, without knowing they have the virus.

Here were some other findings from the RiverStone Health COVID-19 Vaccination survey:

91% wear masks all or most of the time when in stores and other businesses.
3% wear masks some of the time in stores and other businesses.
2% hardly every wear masks.
2% never wear masks.
1% said they have not gone to stores or other businesses.

About 7 out of 10 residents who took the survey say they are "bothered a lot when people around them in public don't wear masks," and less than 2 out of 10 responses say they are "bothered a lot" when businesses require customers to wear masks for service.

CLICK HERE to see the press release from RiverStone Health about the COVID-19 vaccination survey results.