Requiring COVID-19 vaccination for sporting events and concerts would sway some to get the shot

A survey by Morning Consult indicates that if vaccines were required at public spaces like stadiums, movie theaters and restaurants, a sizeable portion of unvaccinated adults would get the shot.

More than 1 in 4 unvaccinated adults said they would get vaccinated if required to attend a sporting event or concert. More than 10% said they’d “definitely” receive a shot to go to such an event, while an even greater share of unvaccinated adults said they could be convinced to get a vaccine in order to shop in a store (35%) or to send one’s child to school (33%).

The majority of respondents agreed with policies that require vaccination or proof of a recent negative COVID-19 test in order to enter a public space or event, but support varies by activity. For instance, 62% of Americans supported these policies for travelers on international flights, while 51% support the policies for outdoor sporting events.

Not surprisingly, vaccinated adults were more likely to support these policies than unvaccinated respondents. Roughly 70% of vaccinated adults supported vaccine mandates for indoor concerts and sporting events, for example, but only about one-third of unvaccinated consumers said the same.

Current restrictions vary. New York City now requires at least one dose of the vaccine as a condition of entry to indoor restaurants, concerts and movie theaters, and is deploying a program called the Excelsior Pass that allows New Yorkers to electronically confirm their vaccine status. AEG Worldwide, Live Nation Entertainment, and the Broadway League, all announced that those attending concerts and theater performances will be required to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test to enter their events. The Las Vegas Raiders, the first NFL team to announce that those attending home games need proof of vaccination for the 2021 season, will notably not permit a negative test in lieu of proof of vaccination for admittance to Allegiant Stadium. New Orleans, which has jurisdiction over Saints football games at the Caesars Superdome, will allow unvaccinated attendees to show proof of a negative test within 72 hours as an alternative to getting vaccinated.

Roughly half of U.S. adults said they support allowing unvaccinated individuals to present a negative COVID-19 test as an alternative to proof of vaccination for a range of activities, from attending an outdoor sporting event (53%) to traveling on an international flight (47%), according to the survey.

The survey found little opposition to requiring masks in public places. The overwhelming majority of U.S. adults said they support mask requirements for indoor sporting events (79%), theater shows (79%), movie theaters (78%) and religious gatherings (78%), among other activities.Vaccinated individuals were much more likely than unvaccinated individuals to support mask mandates for either all adults or just unvaccinated adults at public events — but even the majority of unvaccinated people generally supported some sort of mask requirement.