Survey on U.S. Teens and Young Adults’ Attitudes Towards Covid-19 Precautions

The Generation Lab, a polling and research firm studying young people and the trends that shape their world, conducted a nationally representative survey of 908 U.S. teens and young adults ages 13-29 looking at attitudes towards Covid-19 vaccines, testing, and mandates in late August.

The findings show 67% of young adults aged 18-29 support vaccine mandates for students and staff at their school and/or workplaces compared to 55% among middle and high school-aged students. In a series of follow-up interviews among the unvaccinated, vaccine mandates were the number one driver of getting vaccinated. In addition, half of the young people surveyed, aged 13-29, believe that teens under 18 should not be required to get parental consent for a vaccination. 

Among teens aged 13-17, 60% said they are fully vaccinated (76% at least partially vaccinated), slightly lower than the 68% of those aged 18-24 (77% at least partially vaccinated). Yet among those who were unvaccinated, teens aged 13-17 were most likely to say they were definitely or open to getting vaccinated (62%) compared to those aged 18-24 (33%).

The data shows that rates are defined by political affiliation. Among only young Democratic-leaning respondents, 63% opposed parental consent, while only 27% of young Republican-leaning people said the same. Young Republican-leaning respondents were also 3 times more likely to say they had not been vaccinated. Among the unvaccinated, they were also more than 4 times as likely to say they definitely would not get vaccinated and more than 4 times as likely to say they don’t believe in the vaccine’s efficacy.