One in three Americans would reject a free COVID-19 vaccine.

As the death toll from coronavirus in the United States exceeds the 160,000 mark, a new interview makes it clear that even if there were a safe and effective vaccine, many Americans would refuse to get it. If a vaccine approved by the Food and Drug Administration was offered for free, 35 percent of Americans say they would not be vaccinated, according to a Gallup poll. And those who refuse the vaccine are more likely to be Republicans. While 81 percent of Democrats said they would get vaccinated if a free, FDA-approved vaccine was available, only 47 percent of Republicans said the same. Independents are in the middle of the two, with 59 percent saying they accept the vaccine.

Acceptance of a possible vaccine is higher than average among young and old, with 76 percent of those aged 18-29 and 70 percent of seniors saying they would receive a vaccine. Those in the middle appear to be the most reticent with 59 percent of those between the ages of 50 and 64 saying they accept a vaccine.

Even though the number could be surprising, considering how much COVID-19 has affected daily life around the world, it still appears to be an increase from a few months ago. In late May, another survey found that only about half of Americans would actually be vaccinated. A survey by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that although 49 percent of Americans said they would be vaccinated, 20 percent said they would not and 31 percent said they were unsure.

In the midst of the worldwide vaccine race, experts are cautiously noting that even if there is a vaccine, it probably would not be a silver bullet against the coronavirus. Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said the chances of a coronavirus vaccine being “98 percent effective are not great.” During a Q&A with the Brown University School of Public Health, Fauci said the vaccine should not be seen as a perfect solution, but “as a tool to get the pandemic to no longer be a pandemic, but to be something that is well controlled. ”The FDA has said it could approve a vaccine as long as it is at least 50 percent effective.