The CDC’s new mask instructions can motivate people to get vaccinated – but not for the reason you might think

A digital highway sign promotes COVID-19 vaccination on May 14, 2021 in Vancouver, Washington.

A digital highway sign promotes COVID-19 vaccination on May 14, 2021 in Vancouver, Washington. Credit – Nathan Howard – Getty Images

As the demand for vaccinations falls in the US, states are turning to increasingly dramatic measures – dinner with the governor! Multi-Million Dollar Lotteries! – to convince people to take their pictures. But perhaps the boldest incentive yet came from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which on May 13 said that fully vaccinated people can go maskless inside and out. The CDC essentially dangles a carrot: if you get your shot, you can have your normal life back.

Many experts have questioned whether this strategy will work, and some argue that it will backfire. After all, it is almost impossible to enforce the directive. There is little to prevent unvaccinated people from going mask-free right next to those who fired their shots, which could allow the virus to spread further. This is a particular risk in indoor spaces such as shops and offices.

However, a new TIME / Harris Poll, conducted May 18-19 of 1,075 U.S. adults ages 18 and older, offers a slightly more optimistic view of the CDC’s gambling. Harris found that the agency’s policies motivate some Americans to get vaccinated – but not necessarily for the reason you’d think.

23% of respondents who were either vaccinated in the seven days prior to Harris’ research or said they would be vaccinated in the near future said the CDC’s new mask policy encouraged them to take a shot. This is a positive, if not massive, effect. But the data also show a more interesting finding: In the same group, 41% said they were at least partially vaccinated or were planning to have a vaccination because they were concerned about being with maskless, unvaccinated people.

The CDC’s new policy is probably not the only driver of that sentiment – more people will go maskless when the number of cases drops and states reopen anyway – but it likely played a role. Whether or not that was the agency’s intended outcome, mask policy appears to be influencing people’s vaccination decisions.