New study describes how unvaccinated people are more likely to listen to their doctors than the government

Friends, family and the personal doctors of vaccine skeptics have a lot of influence on the question of whether or not these doubters get the shots, according to a new survey from Deloitte, the consulting firm.

About six in ten people (59%) who are now vaccinated but former skeptics said they did it because of friends and family. The top motivator was their effort to protect their loved ones, they said.

The 3,000-person survey was conducted in mid- to late-August, when the delta variant had COVID-19 cases spiking. It incorporated more than 1,000 people who said they had not received the shot. This swath of survey participants included people who were hard no’s, people on the fence and people who would only get it if required. ...

The offer of a COVID-19 vaccination during a routine doctor’s visit could also be a critical way to push the rate higher, the survey said — but that’s not happening often.

Among vaccinated survey respondents, 11% said their doctor or nurse offered the vaccine. Within the survey subset that’s not fully vaccinated, one-third said they’d likely agree to the shot if it was offered during a regular visit. In fact, among the staunchest skeptics refusing the shot, 17% said they would likely relent if their doctor offered the shot. ...