NMSU professor studies vaccine hesitancy among Americans
LAS CRUCES, New Mexico -- Thousands of residents in the Borderland have been vaccinated, some are still waiting to get theirs and then there are others who are hesitant about getting the shot at all.
A national study conducted last summer found 1 in 5 participants were hesitant about getting the vaccine. The study had 1,870 participants and they were asked questions such as, ‘If there was a vaccine that would prevent them from getting covid, would they take it?'
One of the researchers, Jagdish Khubchandani is a professor of public health at New Mexico State University. Khubchandani said of those who were hesitant, the majority were of lower income and educated as well as within minorities. He said wasn’t surprised.
"Historically they have not been a part of the mainstream health care systems,” Khubchandani said. "We have not communicated enough with these groups. There have been injustices done to them so anything new that comes in the market they are hesitant and they are hesitant about the Covid vaccine.”
He hopes the study will make government and public health authorities find better ways to communicate to these populations. One thing he hopes they know is, “The vaccine work has been going on for decades,” Khubchandani said. “It didn't happen over nine months. Yes the vaccine was made in nine months but the prior research has taken decades and decades."
One area of the study that surprised Khubchandani was that some people didn’t think Covid-19 was that serious of a disease and they probably would never be infected.
Las Cruces resident, Luis Mendoza told ABC-7 “I’m not worried about it. I don’t think about it, I just live my life and go about my day and if it hits me it hits me and if it doesn’t it doesn’t.”
Mendoza is happy the vaccine exists for those that want it but said he’s never had a vaccination for anything and doesn’t plan on starting now.
Khubchandani wants to remind people though that Covid does not leave anyone out, “It affects everyone and anyone has a chance to be infected and die.”
