Data suggests Texas will be below U.S. COVID-19 vaccine goal

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- An ABC News and Ipsos poll from May 8 shows a quarter of Americans say they would not get vaccinated for coronavirus, even if a safe and effective vaccine was developed.

And now, our ABC data group is taking a look at how Texans' attitudes about health and safety can give us a better idea of how many people will get vaccinated and if our fellow Texans will participate in the tracing programs we've been hearing about.

The group first took a look at seat belt use.

Use has been on the decline in Texas since 2012 when 94 percent were using their seat belt.

Last year, crash data collected by the government showed 91 percent of Texans used their safety belt, which is right on par with the national average.

Next, they looked into the number of Texans vaccinating their children for measles, mumps and rubella.

SEE ALSO: Houston area lags state in testing, supplies

The MMR vaccine has been around since 1971.

According to the data, Texans do a really good job of getting their kids the MMR vaccine by the time they get to kindergarten.

According to the CDC, the national average vaccination rate for MMR is 95 percent.

Last year, 97 percent of Texans had vaccinated their kids for MMR, beating the government's goal of 95 percent.

This data could suggest Texans would be more likely to get a COVID-19 vaccine.

Finally, the group looked into the number of Texans who get an annual flu shot.

If it's not covered by your insurance, it's relatively cheap and doctors say it's an easy, preventive measure.

On average, 50 percent of Americans got the flu shot last year, but only 48 percent of Texans did.

That's pretty dismal when you consider the government's goal is to get 70 percent of Americans vaccinated for the flu.

So while Texans do pretty well fastening their seat belts and getting the MMR vaccine, breaking down the data, Texans have a ways to go with the flu shot, which might mean fewer Texans get the coronavirus vaccine when it's ready.

Compliance with big health initiatives like seat belt use and flu shots isn't a new concern for health professionals.

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