America This Week: Black Market Vaccine Cards, Virtual Learning, Closet Vaxxers, Shopping in a Fourth Wave, Back-to-Office?
In The Harris Poll survey of American Society fielded September 3rd to 5th, 2021 among 1,923 U.S. Adults, we examine the sketchy black market for vaccine cards as well as concerns over the long-term impact of remote learning on children. And in a poll with USA TODAY we interview "Closet Vaxxers"––Americans who are secretly getting vaccinated and not telling their friends or family. And as the fourth wave of the coronavirus follows us into Autumn, we survey with Morning Brew on consumer eagerness to shop in person as well as how Americans feel about working alongside their unvaccinated colleagues in a poll with FORTUNE.
Have a great rest of the week!
1. The New Black Market: Fake Vaccine Cards
From restaurants to concerts to gyms, proof of vaccination has been introduced across the country. Yet rather than receiving the shot, some unvaccinated Americans are turning to the dark web to buy fraudulent CDC vaccination cards. We check in with Americans to learn how aware they are of this new black market:
Takeaway:?Businesses will need to be vigilant in enforcing vaccine requirement safety measures to maintain the trust of patrons as people look to return to normal and attend crowded places again. Yet it might make sense to just keep wearing a mask in public places as establishments are not well-equipped to catch what is the new 'fake ID' for our times.
2. The Long-Term Impact of Virtual Learning: A 3-Pronged Crisis?
Students, parents, and teachers alike are bracing for another uncertain school year amid COVID-19 as more than 1,400 schools across 278 districts in 35 states that began the academic year in person?have already closed. As the void of in-person schooling continues to grow, we took a deep dive into the long-term impact of virtual learning on students, indicating a looming three-pronged crisis of the social, mental, and academic health of students.?
Takeaway:?In-person learning has irreplaceable benefits to students' skills development and holistic wellbeing. Yet given the uncertain future with COVID, hybrid or new kinds of virtual learning models that create more face-to-face interaction and engagement will be critical to ensure students don’t fall any further behind.
3. ClosetVaxxers: These Americans Are Getting COVID Vaccinations but Not Telling Anyone: USA Today-Harris Poll
While many Americans publicly announced their vaccination on social media, other Americans are taking the opposite approach: they're getting COVID-19 vaccinations but not telling their anti-vaxxer friends, family, or colleagues, fearing alienation from the people around them. We partnered?with USA Today?to look more into these “secret vaxxers.” Here’s what we found:
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Takeaway:?The quintessential human desire to be liked and loved explains why many people don't want to get publicly vaccinated. In many communities, vaccine hesitancy is orthodox and/or politicized, and betraying your peers for many is too much of a social risk to take on. Let's hope for the public health of America this is more 'do as I say, not as I do' happening than we know...
4. Americans Still Eager to Shop in Person Post-Pandemic: Morning Brew-Harris Poll
A year into the pandemic, and just as vaccines were rolling out in March, we wanted to know how shopping habits changed and what would stick in the “After Times.” Now, with the rise of the Delta variant, we wanted to see if the optimism is still there. Here’s what we found in our latest poll in partnership with?Morning Brew:
Takeaway:?Notably, (44%) of respondents said they’re?neither more or less sensitive to price changes, but we wonder if they do care about shrinking package sizes - another way CPG companies raise prices.
5. Most Americans Are Comfortable Returning to the Office Regardless of Coworkers’ Vaccination Status: Fortune-Harris Poll
About (64%) of U.S. adults are vaccinated, but when it comes to return-to-the-office plans, workers say vaccine status doesn’t matter that much.?In partnership with Fortune, we asked workers how they feel about working alongside unvaccinated coworkers. Here is what we found:
Takeaway:?Working in person doesn’t always require mandatory vaccines to ensure the comfortability of workers as long as other precautions are taken and concerns are acknowledged. Employers will need to carefully navigate the coexistence of their vaccinated and unvaccinated workers as they look to keep employees safe.
As a public service, our team has curated key insights to help leaders navigate COVID-19. Full survey results, tables, and weekly summaries?can be accessed for free?at?The Harris Poll COVID-19 Portal. We will continue to actively field on a regular cadence to track the shifts in sentiment and behaviors as the news and guidelines evolve.?
Marketing Strategist, Entrepreneur, Business Consultant
3 年aren't the statistics in these two bullets contradictory? I feel like i'm missing something ... Nearly three-fifths (58%) of workers say they’re comfortable returning to work?even if some of their coworkers are unvaccinated. Four in 10 workers (42%) say?it doesn’t bother them if some employees remain unvaccinated, while a third (33%) say they would?return to the office with unvaccinated coworkers?only if their employer required it. A quarter (25%) say they would not return under these conditions.