The U.S. hit another important milestone in the fight against the coronavirus at the start of this month. Seventy percent of all adults are now fully vaccinated. The vaccination rate is even higher in the state; nearly 80 percent of Maryland adults have received the COVID-19.
Maryland’s high vaccination rate is in part a function of leadership. Gov. Hogan, Democratic lawmakers, and the various state and local health departments have been consistent, vocal, and sometimes even creative public health advocates. Maryland residents have also advocated for and embraced the personal and public benefits of the vaccine; vaccination rates are exceptionally high among progressives, college graduates, Democrats, and those over 55 years of age.
Due to this progress, the state’s public health efforts can now focus on getting the recently authorized population of children ages 5 to 11 their first doses and administering booster shots to a large number of already vaccinated residents.
According to the recent Goucher College Poll, more than eighty percent of vaccinated Maryland adults said they are likely to get a booster shot when available; that number includes 88 percent of Democrats, 77 percent of Republicans, and 81 percent of unaffiliated voters. Altogether, that puts the state in an advantageous position to save lives and tamp down community spread.
However, the state’s improved public health metrics and increased vaccination rates haven’t influenced the public’s expectations on a return to pre-pandemic normalcy in the ways we might expect.
Back in March, most Marylanders thought the state would return to normalcy by the end of 2021, which is two short months from now. But according to the recent mid-October Goucher College Poll, residents have lowered their expectations: 15 percent of residents now think the full return to a post-Covid normal will take another four to six months, 28 percent believe it will be sometime within the next year, and 29 percent say it’s going to be more than a full year from now.
Just 5 percent think things will be back to normal in 1 to 3 months. The number of residents who believe we are “never” getting back to normal has doubled from 8 percent in March to 16 percent this past October.
Perhaps most interesting is how varied attitudes toward a return to normalcy are within different demographic categories. Perspectives are mixed, and the only real standouts are progressives and Black Marylanders, who are the least bullish on a full return to normalcy this year. (see table below)
Despite the progress we’ve made on vaccines, it seems that the Delta variant, breakthrough cases, continued community spread, and even the differentiated rules between jurisdictions have made the return to normalcy feel elusive for many state residents.
And perhaps that’s a rational response after more than 18 months of dealing with the coronavirus and prolonged frustrations with the government, private businesses, and even one another. To that point, around two-thirds of vaccinated Marylanders say they’ve limited the in-person time spent with friends, family, or acquaintances who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19—not exactly a festive place to be as we approach the holiday season.
The Goucher College Poll has helped us understand what residents have thought about public health and government regulations during the pandemic. But the poll also captures something many of us are coming to realize: a return to “normal” will be elusive, and some parts of our lives may be altered forever.
Steven Van Riper and Meredith Schulhof are political science majors and research assistants at the Sarah T. Hughes Center for Politics at Goucher College.
