Fall 2021 - Pennsylvania COVID-19 Poll

Fall 2021 - Muhlenberg College/Morning Call Pennsylvania COVID-19 Poll

PDF: Fall 2021 - Muhlenberg College/Morning Call Pennsylvania COVID-19 Poll

Key Findings

  • While over 4 in 10 adult Pennsylvanians (41%) report that they are “extremely” or “very” concerned about the COVID-19 pandemic, overall concern levels in the Commonwealth have dropped significantly from March when almost 6 in 10 residents (57%) reported high levels of concern with this health situation.
  • Approval ratings for President Joe Biden’s handling of the pandemic have declined in Pennsylvania since the spring, with only 40% of Keystone State adults currently approving of Biden’s efforts on this issue, compared to 55% last March.
  • More Pennsylvanians disapprove (44%) of Governor Wolf’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic than approve (35%) of his performance on this matter
  • Of adult Pennsylvanians that have received a COVID-19 vaccine, a large majority (76%) have either received or plan on receiving a booster shot.
  • Over the past 3 months, 1 out of 3 adult Pennsylvanians report that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative impact on their mental health.
  • Pennsylvanians are highly divided on the issue of employers mandating their employees to get a COVID-19 immunization, with 50% indicating that employers should NOT be able to mandate immunizations, and 49% indicating that employers should be able to establish such a requirement.
  • A solid majority (60%) of Pennsylvanians agree that public schools in the Commonwealth should require students to wear masks.
  • About 6 in 10 (59%) Keystone State adults indicate that individuals who have not received a COVID-19 vaccination have put others at risk and have prolonged the length of the pandemic.
  • The percentage of Pennsylvanians who agree with the following statement varies widely according to political party: "There are major health risks for those that receive a COVID-19 vaccination."

Methodological Statement
The following report contains the results of a telephone survey of 419 adults in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania between November 15 and 22, 2021. Respondents were interviewed in English on both landlines (88) and cell phones (331). With a randomly selected sample of respondents, the margin of error for the surveys is +/- 5.5% at a 95% level of confidence. Margins of error for questions with smaller sample size will be larger. In addition to sampling error, one should consider that question wording and other fielding issues could introduce error or bias into survey results. The sample data has been weighted by gender, race, age, income, and educational attainment to reflect those Pennsylvania population characteristics as reported by the United States Census Bureau in 2021. The calculation of sampling error takes into account design effects due to the weighting identified above. In order to reach a representative sample of adult Pennsylvanians, both landlines and cell phones are called up to 5 times. The response rate for this survey as calculated using the American Association of Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) RRII formula is approximately 7%. Due to rounding, the totals provided in the frequency report may not total 100%. The survey instrument (as seen in its entirety below) was designed by Christopher P. Borick, Director of the Muhlenberg College Institute of Pubic Opinion (MCIPO), in conjunction with the staff of the Morning Call. The survey was funded exclusively by Muhlenberg College and the Morning Call. For more detailed information on the methods employed please contact the MCIPO at 484-664-3444 or email Dr. Borick at [email protected].

SURVEY INSTRUMENT AND FREQUENCY REPORT

SCREENER:  Thank you.  Just to confirm are you a resident of Pennsylvania who is age 18 or older?

  1. Yes…………..…..CONTINUE
  2. No………………THANK AND DISCONTINUE
  3. Not Sure….……THANK AND DISCONTINUE

Q1: Next I have a few questions about the coronavirus or COVID-19 outbreak. How concerned are you, if at all, about the coronavirus or COVID-19 outbreak? (READ LIST)

  1. Extremely Concerned…..15%
  2. Very Concerned………... 26%
  3. Somewhat Concerned…..34%
  4. Not Concerned at All……26%
  5. Not Sure (VOL)…………<1%

 

Fall 2021

Spring 2021

Extremely Concerned

15%

26%

Very Concerned

26%

31%

Somewhat Concerned

34%

28%

Not Concerned at All

26%

15%

Not Sure (VOL)

<1%

<1%

Q2: Do you approve or disapprove of the way President Joe Biden is handling the response to the coronavirus or COVID-19 outbreak?

1. Approve……………….. 40%

2. Disapprove…………….  45%

98. Not Sure (VOL)……...  15%

 

Fall 2021

Spring 2021

Approve

40%

55%

Disapprove

45%

28%

Not Sure (VOL)

15%

19%

Q3: Do you approve or disapprove of the way Governor Tom Wolf is handling the response to the coronavirus or COVID-19 outbreak?

1. Approve……………….. 35%

2. Disapprove…………….  44%

98. Not Sure (VOL)……… 21%

 

Fall 2021

Spring 2021

Approve

35%

40%

Disapprove

44%

41%

Not Sure (VOL)

21%

19%

Q4: Have you received at least one COVID-19 vaccine shot at this time?

  1. Yes ……………………74%
  2. No…SKIP TO Q6…26%

 

Fall 2021

Spring 2021

Yes

74%

36%

No

26%

64%

Not Sure (VOL)

0%

1%

QUESTION FIVE: ONLY INDIVIDUALS WHO RECEIVED AT LEAST ONE COVID-19 SHOT (N =307)

Q5:  Have you received, or are you planning to receive A COVID-19 vaccine booster shot?

 1. Yes……………………76%

 2 No…………………….13%

98:  Not Sure (VOL)………11%

***********ALL ANSWERS SKIP TO Q7***********

QUESTION SIX: ONLY INDIVIDUALS WHO DID NOT RECEIVE AT LEAST ONE COVID-19 SHOT (N =108)

Q6: Which of the following is your primary reason for not getting a COVID19 vaccination?

  1. Concerns with negative health effects of the vaccination…30%
  2. Religious beliefs…………………………………………….2%
  3. Personal liberties and choice…………………………49%
  4. Other (VOL)……………………………………………….11%
  5. All Equal (VOL)…………………………………………….6%
  6. Not Sure (VOL)……………………………………………..3%

REMAINDER OF QUESTIONS ALL RESPONDENTS

Q7:  How effective do you think the COVID-19 vaccines are in preventing individuals who receive a vaccine from becoming severely ill from COVID-19 infections? (READ LIST)

  1. Very effective……………….45%
  2. Somewhat Effective……….29%
  3. Somewhat Ineffective……12%
  4. Very Ineffective…………….10%
  5. Not Sure (Vol)…………….. 5%

Q8:  When you are in indoor PUBLIC SPACES do you wear masks: (READ LIST)

  1. All of the time……………….26%
  2. Most of the time……………..23%
  3. Occasionally…………………29%
  4. Or Never……………………..21%
  5. Not Sure (VOL)………………<1%

Q9:  In the past few months, has any worry or stress related to the COVID-19 pandemic had a negative impact on your mental health, or not?

  1. Yes…………………………. 33%
  2. No………………………….. 67%
  3. Not Sure (VOL)……………1%

Next I have a few questions about your perception of how much risk to your health and well-being there is from the following activities. For each activity I read, please let me know if you think there is a large risk, moderate risk, small risk or no risk at all to your health and well-being.

 

Large Risk

Moderate Risk

Small Risk

No Risk

Not Sure (VOL)

Q10: Attending in-person gatherings of friends and family outside your household

8%

33%

36%

23%

1%

Q11: Dining indoor at a restaurant

10%

34%

33%

  22%

1%

Q12: Shopping at retail stores

 

10%

37%

32%

21%

1%

Q13: Traveling on an airplane or mass transit

 

37%

29%

19%

14%

2%

Q14: Working indoors with others in an office

 

10%

34%

33%

19%

4%

Q15:  Please indicate if you strongly agree, somewhat agree, somewhat disagree or strongly disagree with the following statements. First, there are major health risks for those that receive a COVID-19 vaccination.

  1. Strongly Agree………..…17%
  2. Somewhat Agree……….. 21%
  3. Somewhat Disagree……. 21%
  4. Strongly Disagree………  36%
  5. Not Sure (VOL)……….   5%

Q16:  Employers should NOT be allowed to require their employees to get a COVID-19 vaccination.

  1. Strongly Agree………..… 35%
  2. Somewhat Agree……….  15%
  3. Somewhat Disagree……. 16%
  4. Strongly Disagree……….  33%
  5. Not Sure (VOL)……….    2%

Q17:  Adults who have not received a COVID-19 vaccination have put others at risk and have prolonged the length of the pandemic.

  1. Strongly Agree………..…40%
  2. Somewhat Agree………..19%
  3. Somewhat Disagree…….12%
  4. Strongly Disagree……… 27%
  5. Not Sure (VOL)……….   3%

Q18:  The worst of the COVID-19 pandemic is behind us.

  1. Strongly Agree………..…16%
  2. Somewhat Agree………...41%
  3. Somewhat Disagree…….19%
  4. Strongly Disagree………  10%
  5. Not Sure (VOL)……….  13%

 

Fall 2021

Spring 2021

Strongly Agree

16%

14%

Somewhat Agree

41%

46%

Somewhat Disagree

19%

16%

Strongly Disagree

10%

9%

Not Sure (VOL)

13%

16%

Q19:  Pennsylvania public schools should require students to wear masks to protect against the spread of COVID-19.

  1. Strongly Agree………..….35%
  2. Somewhat Agree……….. 25%
  3. Somewhat Disagree…….16%
  4. Strongly Disagree………  20%
  5. Not Sure (VOL)………… 4%

Q20:  Which of the following best describes the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on your Thanksgiving holiday plans?

  1. I’ll celebrate Thanksgiving in the same manner as I did before the COVID-19 pandemic………..…47%
  2. I’ll celebrate Thanksgiving with family and friends, but with more precautions for safety than in the past………………………..…20%
  3. I won’t celebrate Thanksgiving with anyone other than immediate family this year because of the risks from COVID-19………….33%
  4. Not Sure……………………….1%

Q21:  Have you contracted COVID-19?

  1. Yes…………………..20%
  2. No……………………77%
  3. Unsure (VOL)……3%

DEMOGRAPHICS

Q22:  Finally, I have a few questions about yourself. What is your highest level of education? Is it (READ LIST)?

 

 

Less Than High School

5%

High School Graduate

29%

Some College Or Technical School

30%

College Graduate (4 Yr Only)

24%

Graduate Or Professional Degree

12%

Q23:  Which of the following categories best describes your racial identity? (READ LIST)

 

 

White/Caucasian

75%

African-American

12%

Hispanic/Latino

6%

Asian

2%

Native American

1%

Mixed Race

2%

Or Other

1%

Q24: Which of the following categories best describes your current voting status? Are you registered as a (READ LIST)?

 

 

Democrat

43%

Republican

36%

Independent

12%

Other Party

2%

Or Not Registered To Vote In Pennsylvania

5%

Not Sure

3%

Q25:  Which of the following categories best describes your religious affiliation? Are you (READ LIST)?

 

 

Catholic

24%

Protestant

31%

Jewish

3%

Muslim

2%

Hindu

<1%

Other Religion (Including Agnostic)

28%

Atheist

6%

Not Sure

5%

Q26:  Do you have children under the age of 18?

 

 

Has Children Under 18

25%

No Children Under 18

75%

Q27:  In which of the following age categories does your current age fall.  READ LIST

 

 

18-29

23%

30-49

29%

50-64

27%

65 and Over

22%

Q28:  Which of the following categories best describes your family income? (READ LIST)

 

 

Under $20,000

10%

$20,000-$40,000

18%

$40,000-$60,000

20%

$60,000-$80,000

14%

$80,000-$100,000

13%

Over $100,000

16%

Not Sure

9%

Q29:  Finally, to which gender identity do you most identify? (READ LIST)

 

 

Male

49%

Female

50%

Transgender Male

<1%

Transgender Female

<1%

Or you do not identify as male, female or transgender

1%

SELECTED CROSSTABS

 

Has Received at Least One Covid-19 Vaccine

Has NOT Received at Least One Covid-19 Vaccine

Democrat

88%

12%

Republican

62%

38%

Independent

71%

29%

Male

73%

27%

Female

76%

24%

18-29

67%

33%

30-49

68%

32%

50-69

77%

23%

Over 65

86%

14%

No College Degree

66%

34%

College Degree

89%

11%

White

73%

27%

Non-White

76%

24%

“There are major health risks for those that receive a COVID-19 vaccination.”

 

Strongly Agree

Somewhat Agree

Somewhat Disagree

Strongly Disagree

Not Sure (VOL)

Democrat

7%

13%

24%

55%

2%

Republican

33%

26%

14%

20%

7%

Independent

8%

20%

26%

39%

8%

Male

15%

21%

18%

38%

8%

Female

19%

20%

23%

35%

3%

18-29

18%

19%

28%

31%

5%

30-49

19%

24%

21%

29%

6%

50-69

19%

14%

17%

42%

7%

Over 65

12%

25%

18%

44%

2%

No College Degree

23%

24%

20%

27%

6%

College Degree

7%

15%

22%

53%

3%

White

17%

22%

20%

35%

5%

Non-White

17%

16%

22%

39%

5%