More than half (55 percent) of U.S. residents living in Long Island and New York City say they would get a vaccine to prevent the new strain of coronavirus if one were available, a new poll shows.
The Truth in Medicine poll was conducted by Oceanside, N.Y.-based Mount Sinai South Nassau between Feb. 5 and Feb. 9. It includes responses from 600 residents.
Five survey findings:
1. Sixty-two percent of respondents said they were highly concerned about the coronavirus outbreak.
2. Respondents cited several precautions they may take in response to the outbreak, with 72 percent reporting that they are less likely to travel overseas, 48 percent saying they are less likely to take mass transit and 46 percent saying they are less likely to attend large gatherings.
3. Seventy-two percent said visitor screening should be required before entering a hospital or public place.
4. Though more respondents (44 percent) said the flu is a bigger risk to the U.S population than coronavirus (21 percent), they expressed more concern about the impact of coronavirus (54 percent) than flu (51 percent) on their families.
5. Fifty percent of respondents said they are confident government officials can protect them, but 36 percent said they felt the government is not prepared.