On the fence about the new COVID shot? Survey reveals what it will take to persuade Americans

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The rollout of the latest COVID vaccine hit a few bumps with shipping delays and insurance confusion. Now, three weeks into the process, many Southern California residents remain unmoved or undecided.

And a new survey reveals what it will take to persuade Americans. A new poll finds 1 in 4 American adults say they "definitely" plan to get the new COVID shot.

Another quarter say they'll "probably" get it.

"I'll probably wait a little longer before I get this, but I probably will," said Heather Ford of Atwater Village.

Yet, a third of adults say they "definitely" do not plan to get the new vaccine, and another 19% say they "probably" won't.

"I'm immune to it already, " said Rey Javier of Glendale.

The mid-September poll from researchers at the nonprofit health policy group KFF paints a picture of what health officials are up against.

"I think it reflects this fatigue that we all feel," said infectious disease expert Dr. Otto Yang with UCLA Health.

He said initial hurdles, such as insurance and supply problems, may give the people in the "probably" column a reason to delay.

"If you feel that you don't want to get vaccinated, it's just one more excuse, one more reason not to do it," he said.

Yang said misinformation continues to be a barrier. Many people don't understand what makes this new vaccine different from the ones before.

"It's different because the virus is different," said Yang. "The vaccine is updated to reflect one of the more recent omicron subvariants. The idea is that the vaccine needs to change to keep up with the changing virus."

If you're one of many Americans who believes the shot is not necessary, Yang also has a message for you.

"First of all, it's not all about you," he said. "If it prevents you from getting infected, or if it shortens the duration that you're contagious, that is protecting everybody that would have gotten infected from you and anyone who would have got infected from them."

This includes the elderly and those who are immunocompromised. But if you're still thinking about yourself, new research shows multiple infections can increase your risk for hospitalization and death.

One reason? What the virus can do to your heart.

"We've seen a big spike in heart attacks and strokes from COVID," he said.

What about long COVID? Yang said repeated infections heighten the risk. Online scheduling sites at major pharmacies show more vaccine appointments are available.

The hopeful part of the survey? Researchers say it shows about 40% of Americans can still be persuaded to get the shot.