Why white US evangelicals are ‘hesitant' to get Covid jab

In the United States a person's willingness to get vaccinated against Covid-19 varies by religious affiliation, with white evangelicals being the least likely demographic to get the vaccine, the Pew Research Centre has found.

Nine out of 10 atheists would definitely or probably get a vaccine or have already had one, compared to 77% of Catholics the survey of more than 10,000 adults in February 2021 found. By comparison, 45% of white evangelicals said they would definitely or probably not get the vaccine.

Psychologist Jamie Aten told BBC World News that for some people Covid-19 vaccine hesitancy could stem from political views or a sign of tribalism in the same way that some people refuse to wear masks.

For others a mistrust of government and misinformation on social media were also a deciding factor in jab hesitancy, he said.