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Why Americans Are Reluctant, Hesitant To Get COVID-19 Vaccines

State health officials say more than 6 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have now been administered in Arizona, as of June 7.

Anyone 12 and older who wants to get a COVID-19 vaccine in Arizona can get one — that’s also the case around the country. But many people are not getting it for various reasons.

Dan Salmon is trying to figure out why people are hesitant or reluctant to get vaccinated, and ways to change their minds.

Salmon is director of the Institute for Vaccine Safety at Johns Hopkins University, and wrote in a paper on this issue from earlier this year that “public polling data demonstrate that COVID-19 vaccine rollout will occur in an environment that is not prepared to widely accept the vaccine.”

The Show spoke with Salmon and started the conversation by talking about whether people are typically reluctant to get vaccinated against diseases, or if he’s seeing more of that specifically for COVID-19.

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Mark Brodie is a co-host of The Show, KJZZ’s locally produced news magazine. Since starting at KJZZ in 2002, Brodie has been a host, reporter and producer, including several years covering the Arizona Legislature, based at the Capitol.