Data / Vaccine Uptake Survey
Vaccine Uptake Survey
Vaccine Uptake Survey
n = 654 · 2026PUBLISHED
PUBLISHED
Fieldwork is complete. Findings, methodology, and the questionnaire are published in full below.
OVERVIEW

Public explanations of vaccine hesitancy often emphasize distrust of pharmaceutical companies as a primary driver of declining uptake. This survey shows that while such distrust is widespread, it does not explain observed behavior: uptake varies sharply across groups whose distrust is nearly identical. Vaccine behavior is better understood as a function of system legitimacy — the perceived credibility, independence, and accountability of the institutions governing vaccine development, approval, and recommendation.

KEY FINDINGS
Distrust of pharmaceutical companies is high and broadly similar across political groups.
COVID booster uptake nevertheless varies by roughly 3× across those same groups.
Skepticism shifts from product-level to system-level judgment: some skeptics continue to participate; others selectively engage or exit formal health institutions entirely.
METHODOLOGY
FIELD LOCATION
Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
SAMPLE SIZE
654 respondents
COMPOSITION
201 Republicans · 139 Independents · 314 Democrats
SAMPLING FRAME
County-level voting records (party membership or designation)
MODE
Online survey and face-to-face interviews
INSTRUMENT
Closed items plus open-ended explanations of decision-making
QUESTIONNAIRE
Q1
Have you received a COVID-19 vaccination in the past twelve months?
Yes / No / Prefer not to say
Q2
Have you received an influenza vaccination in the past twelve months?
Yes / No / Prefer not to say
Q3
How much do you trust pharmaceutical companies?
Four-point scale
Q4
How much do you trust your own physician?
Four-point scale
Q5
How much do you trust federal public health agencies, such as the CDC?
Four-point scale
Q6
In your own words, what shaped your decision about vaccination?
Open-ended
Q7
What is your view of vaccine mandates and pandemic-era restrictions?
Open-ended
Abridged. The full instrument, including open-ended prompts and routing, is available on request.
PUBLICATIONS FROM THIS SURVEY
RESEARCH REPORT
May 2026
Vaccine Uptake, System Legitimacy, and Institutional Exit After COVID-19
Read article →
MEDIA COVERAGE
Coverage of this survey will be listed here as it appears. Media archive →
Distrust of pharmaceutical companies
Percent of respondents by party · n = 654
Republicans76.6%
Independents74.8%
Democrats72.3%
CGHA Survey Series · Figures illustrative pending final tables