on the fence

新型コロナウィルスワクチンの接種が進むアメリカで、興味深いアンケート結果が公表されています。

ご存知のように、新型コロナのワクチンについては懐疑派、つまり接種拒否の姿勢を示す人々が一定数いると言われています。

米国では国民の約20%がいわゆる「ワクチン懐疑派」という統計があるようですが、そういった人々も時間を経て、ワクチン接種に積極的になっていると考えられるとあります。

背景には、家族や友人の勧め、また、周囲で進むワクチン接種者の増加があるるとの見方です。

Roughly one-fifth of Americans were initially hesitant about or squarely against getting the Covid-19 vaccine but have since gotten their shots, according to polling released Tuesday by the Kaiser Family Foundation.

The survey reached back out to people first polled in January to see how their views on the issue had evolved. Those who had decided to be vaccinated after saying they weren't sure about or didn't intend to get the shot "often say that family, friends and their personal doctors helped change their minds," the foundation found.

(Ariel Edwards-Levy. A new poll shows why some vaccine-hesitant Americans decided to get the Covid-19 shot. CNN. July 13, 2021.)

尤も、ワクチン接種に強く反対している人達は、やはりその信念を曲げることは少ないようです。

Most people who'd made firm decisions one way or the other in January hadn't budged since. Of those who were unvaccinated at the start of the year, only about 8% had changed their minds -- the rest either stuck with their initial choice or had started off unsure what they would end up doing.

(ibid.)

しかしながら、筋金入りの反対派は別として、漠然とワクチン接種に腰が重いという人たちの場合、次第にワクチン接種に積極姿勢を示すようになっているようだと、記事は続きます。

But those who did change their minds or reached decisions after initial uncertainty often decided in favor of the vaccine. Not only had 92% of those who'd intended to get the vaccine done so, but so had 54% of those who said they planned to wait and see, as well as 24% of those who initially had said they definitely would not get the vaccine or would get it only if required to. By contrast, only 8% who'd been on the fence in January said in June that they'd definitely decided against getting the shot.

(ibid.)

前置きが長くなりましたが、引用の最後の部分、

By contrast, only 8% who'd been on the fence in January said in June that they'd definitely decided against getting the shot.

の"on the fence"という表現を取り上げようと思ったところです。

この表現は、「どっちつかず」、「日和見主義」といった意味合いの慣用句です。

つまり、ワクチンを接種しようか（すべきか）、しないでおこうか、どっちつかずといった立場の人で、最終的にワクチン接種しないと決断した人は8%に留まる、ということを言っています。

"on the fence"については、"sitting on the fence"とも表現されることがありますが、字義通りにはフェンスの上に座っているということになります。

フェンスというのは境界を隔てる壁と思っていただければよいと思いますが、その壁を跨いで座っているイメージでしょうか。境界のどちらか一方に行くことができる状態です。

言葉を変えれば、どちらの側にもまだ行っていない、つまりどちら側に行くか態度を決めかねている、ということです。