Kansans most hesitant about COVID-19 vaccine side effects, new study shows

A new report analyzing COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in Kansas identifies fear of vaccine side effects as the top reason why roughly half of the state’s population remains unimmunized against the virus.

The report found that 69% of unimmunized Kansans were worried about vaccine side effects. But U.S. health officials say the odds of having a severe allergic reaction to the vaccine are roughly 1 in 100,000.

The report by QuoteWizard breaks down data collected through the U.S. Census Bureau’s COVID-19 Household Pulse Survey, which provides representative estimates of adult populations in all 50 states.

Forty-nine percent of Kansans are fully vaccinated, according to the Mayo Clinic’s state-by-state tracker.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say the most common COVID-19 vaccine side effects are fatigue, headache, muscle pain, chills, fever or nausea, as well as pain, redness and swelling on the arm where they received the shot.

“In most cases, discomfort from pain or fever is a normal sign that your body is building protection,” the CDC website states.

Respondents to the Household Pulse Survey were allowed to give multiple reasons why they remain hesitant to get vaccinated.

The report found that 48% of unvaccinated Kansans don’t trust COVID-19 vaccines in general and 44% don’t trust the government.

Another 42% said they’re waiting to see if the vaccine is safe.

Last month, the Food and Drug Administration fully approved Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID Vaccine for people 16 and older. Those ages 12-15 can still get the vaccine through the FDA’s emergency use authorization.

Rounding out the report’s findings, 39% of unvaccinated Kansans don’t believe they need to be immunized and 33% don’t believe COVID-19 is a threat.

According to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, 5,693 Kansans have already died from contracting the virus.

Wichita hospitals are currently treating more than three times as many COVID-19 patients as this time last year, and hospital officials warn the upcoming respiratory virus season could further strain already overwhelmed systems.

On Wednesday, Sedgwick County reported 197 hospitalized COVID-19 patients, 73 of whom were in the ICU.

The delta variant is filling hospitals with younger and sicker patients, and Ascension Via Christi and Wesley both report that at least 90% of their COVID-19 patients are unvaccinated.

This story was originally published September 9, 2021 at 2:13 PM.