A new international study by Imperial College has found that only 65% of UK patients would be willing to get a Covid vaccine next year.
The study of 13,500 people found that UK patients were most willing among the 15 countries surveyed.
Overall, only 41% of all those surveyed by Imperial were willing to get a vaccine at the time of the survey, which was undertaken between 11 and 24 November.
It also found that UK patients had the least concern around side effects after Denmark, but still around one in three (31%) were worried.
The study also found that among all those surveyed, 43% stated they were worried about contracting Covid-19 yet ‘57% either do not worry or appear undecided about their level of worry’.
French patients were least willing to have the vaccine, with only a third saying they would take a vaccine next year (35%) or a quarter at the time of the survey (25%)
Sarah P Jones, doctoral researcher at Imperial’s Institute of Global Health Innovation and project co-lead, said: ‘This survey shows health authorities need to do more to reach those who do not have the knowledge they need to make an informed personal decision about vaccines. There is a lot of evidence that vaccines are safe, but unfortunately there is also a lot of misinformation out there.
‘Receiving a vaccine is not just about protecting yourself. It is also about protecting the people around us – the vulnerable, the key workers, as well as our friends, family. This is our once-in-a-lifetime opportunity where we can come together as one to help our communities, our economies and each other get back on track.’
This follows the news that the MHRA has advised that patients with significant allergic reactions history should not be given the Pfizer vaccine after two healthcare staff suffered reactions to the vaccine.
READERS' COMMENTS [6]
Please note, only GPs are permitted to add comments to articles
I’m sure if the campaign goes okay or better , this survey will be rendered obsolete and significantly more people will become agreeable to being jabbed.
As always there are a refractory group of parasitical people who want everyone else to be jabbed so they don’t have to be -or so they think.
As predicted. It is dependant on individual trust in GP teams, to find, discuss and book these cohort people into slots and the administrative know how and bother, after a long bashing year. This is clearly becoming a 2nd Track/Trace misnomer of vaguity. A shame as scientists worked very hard.
Would be interesting to see response by age. The over 50s are the at risks groups and this is where we want to see the best coverage.
But the transmission vectors are primarily the young who understandably put two fingers up at authority/take risks. Just maybe they should be vaccinated sooner to reduce community spread rather than the current proposals cohorts who are largely self isolating. Surely slowing down community transmission in asymptotic should be considered starting with students?
Only 25-35% of the French are willing to have the jab. Blimey?!
Passing an act of parliament which removes the right to compensation from any ill effects of the vaccine, demonstrates a clear lack of confidence in it, and sends a very negative message to the public