WHITESBURG, Kentucky – Rural residents are more hesitant than their metropolitan counterparts to get a COVID-19 vaccination, though rural areas have higher infection and death rates from the virus, a new report states. About a third, 35%, of people living in rural areas said they probably would not or definitely would not get a COVID-19 vaccine, compared to 27% of sub urban and 26% of urban residents answering the same question. The higher reluctance of rural residents to get vaccinated remained evident as researchers controlled for factors such as age, education and political party affiliation. Part of the Kaiser Family Foundation’s vaccine monitor project, the poll took place from Nov. 30 to Dec. 8, the week before the first doses of COVID-19 reached the public. The poll asked about 1,700 respondents whether they would get a vaccine if free, safe and effective. Party affiliation marked the biggest indicator of whether a person would refuse vaccination. Fortytwo percent of…