Goucher Poll Says Nearly Two-Thirds of Marylanders Unhappy with Vaccine Distribution

Nearly two-thirds of Marylanders believe that the state is doing a poor job with vaccine distribution, according to a recent Goucher College study.

Approximately 64% of individuals think the government is doing a fair or poor job in terms of distribution and only one-third say that the government is doing well.

The poll also estimates that 64% of Maryland residents plan to get the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as it is available to them or have already received at least one dose. In October 2020, fewer than 50% of residents said they would agree to be vaccinated.

“Vaccine hesitancy has declined among Maryland residents over the past few months,” Mileah Kromer, director of the Sarah T. Hughes Field Politics Center at Goucher College said. “Notably, our poll results also show that Black Marylanders are not significantly more hesitant to get the vaccine than their white counterparts. There are, however, differences across party lines: Republicans are more resistant to taking the vaccine than Democrats. The big picture is that most Marylanders will get the vaccine as soon as it’s available to them.”

Goucher College also estimates that residents’ approval of Gov. Larry Hogan’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak has decreased nearly 7%. Recent data says approximately three-quarters of residents believe Hogan has handled the state’s COVID-19 outbreak well, whereas 82% of Maryland residents approved of Hogan’s response last October.

The poll was conducted from Feb. 23 to Feb. 28 at the Sarah T. Hughes Field Politics Center at Goucher College in Baltimore and includes 725 individuals. Full results were released March 8 on the college’s website, focusing on the state’s overall response to COVID-19.

The second part of the poll, which focuses on job approval ratings and state issues, will be published on March 9.

Marylanders are demanding a more equitable distribution of vaccines for the largest, most diverse jurisdictions.

What are you waiting for, @GovLarryHogan?https://t.co/Oxe31hbJNH

— Evan Glass (@EvanMGlass) March 8, 2021

About Gracie Tanner

Gracie Tanner was an intern with Montgomery Community Media. She is also a junior at the University of Maryland.

View all posts by Gracie Tanner