‘Hassle factor’ and distrust shadow wide US vaccine hesitancy By Emma Court and Olivia Rockeman Bloomberg News/TNS WASHINGTON - The White House now says all American adults will be able to get a COVID-19 vaccination by the end of May. Convincing a sizable portion of the U.S. public to be immunized is another matter. Only about 54% of American adults who haven’t been vaccinated say they definitely will, according to a Census Bureau survey conducted in February. Meanwhile, about 23% say they will probably be vaccinated, and another 23% will either probably or definitely not get vaccinated. Reaching that highly coveted “herd immunity” level is central to the U.S. government’s plans to fight COVID-19 and reopen businesses. Vaccine supply is one thing, but overcoming hesitancy to get the shot is another. To do that, officials must make the process of getting shots easier, and fight misinformation about the vaccines, concerns about the speed of development and distrust of government and health care institutions.