Study: White evangelicals biggest group planning to skip vaccine
CHICAGO - Despite what seems like overwhelming demand to book a vaccine appointment, not everyone wants to get the shot.
New research has found that the biggest group not wanting it is white evangelicals.
"My biggest worry is that if they don't get on board, they're just gonna prolong the continuation of this pandemic," said local Evangelical leader Jamie Aten.
Forty-five percent of evangelicals say they will not get vaccinated against COVID-19, according to the Pew Research Center. That is about 41 million adult Americans.
Aten says he knows why.
"Some of it has been a distrust of science, misinformation and also political reasons," he said.
Aten is trying to change that. He is the founder of the Humanitarian Disaster Institute at Wheaton College.
"We really need everyone taking this serious and doing what they can, not only to protect ourselves but to protect our neighbors," he said.
Aten and a fellow leader have started a change.org petition to encourage evangelicals to get the shot.
"I view science as something that God gave us to be able to understand the world around us, and he’s working through this science so that we can get vaccinated in order to be able to show love to those that are hurting," Aten said.
The World Health Organization has named vaccine hesitancy as one of the top ten threats to global health.