As vaccine acceptance in Hong Kong continues to improve, there has been a steady increase in vaccine acceptance, 69% up from 63% in three months. Moreover, only 9% of unvaccinated respondents say nothing could persuade them to receive the vaccine.
A sense of community spirit and duty to society are core to the success of global vaccination programs, according to the COVID-19 Vaccine Perception Study published by Cigna. The Study reveals that collective responsibility is the main reason people reported as the motivation to get vaccinated. The study also revealed a positive shift in vaccination rates among respondents, which increased from 25% in April to 31% in May 2021, complementing the growing willingness to get vaccinated, up from 63% in March to 69% in May 2021.
The research shows vaccine hesitancy, or a “wait and see” approach to vaccination, has dropped significantly over the past three months. The first wave of research in March showed 50% of respondents waiting to get a vaccine. This reduced by 3% in April and an additional 5% in May, showing growing confidence in vaccines. The Study surveyed more than 13,000 people across 11 markets and aims to highlight perceptions and attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccines worldwide.
Rapid vaccination progress across markets
The research shows vaccination programmes continue to make rapid progress. In just one month, vaccination rates amongst respondents increased from 25% to 31%, and the markets with the highest rates continue to be the UK (68% up from 60%), UAE (62% up from 58%) and the USA (57% up from 49%). There has been a dramatic increase in other markets over the past month, including in Singapore, a 13% increase (29% to 42%) and Spain, a 12% increase (16% to 28%). Mainland China saw an 11% increase (30% up to 41%) and has now administered over 1.2 billion shots.
Jason Sadler, President, Cigna International Markets, said, "The findings from our third COVID-19 Vaccine Perception Study highlight some incredible progress in global vaccination programmes. However, the study underlines the importance of continued support and encouragement for vaccination programs to help build confidence in those yet to receive vaccinations and to ultimately achieve herd immunity.” He added, “We encourage people to seek trustworthy sources of information about vaccines, such as updates from your local health authority, and to request a vaccination.”
Attitudes differ between vaccinated and unvaccinated.
The largest gulf in opinion between those who have been vaccinated and those who have not relates to perceptions about vaccine safety. Although both vaccinated and unvaccinated people had similar levels of anxiety around contracting COVID-19 (54% and 57%, respectively) and transmitting it to others (73% versus 75%), perceived risks of side effects and safety, as well as a lack of access, are slowing vaccine uptake. Globally, 9% of those yet to receive a vaccine were adamant that nothing could persuade them to take the COVID-19 vaccine.
Government most trusted source of information
Across all markets and all generations, the findings show the two most trusted sources for vaccine information continue to be government bodies and doctors. Vaccinated respondents are more likely to trust information from government bodies (73% vs 63% respectively), doctors (66% vs 57%) and private healthcare insurance providers (43% vs 38%), compared to unvaccinated respondents. In contrast, unvaccinated people are more likely to trust information from TV news, friends and family and social media than those who have been vaccinated. The findings continue to show that despite the perception that social media would have a widespread negative influence, only 5% of people chose social media as their most trusted source of information on COVID-19 vaccines.
Paul Arkwright
Publisher
