The overall rate of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance has increased from 63% to 66% in a single month, according to Cigna’s COVID-19 Vaccine Perception Study, which surveyed over 13,000 people across 11 markets.
- 25% now vaccinated with at least one shot—rollout progressing well
- 66% overall vaccine acceptance—up 3% in one month
- Only 5% trust social media as best source of COVID-19 vaccine information
Vaccine acceptance & safety perception improving
Improvements in vaccine acceptance were seen in China, Singapore, Thailand and Spain. The ongoing successful rollout of vaccines means that overall, 6 out of 10 respondents now believe the vaccine will be available to them, a month on month increase of 2%. This is good news for governments and health authorities as it reflects improving confidence in their vaccine rollout programs.
This month’s data also shows that 55% of respondents now believe COVID-19 vaccines are safe. This is driven partly by the increased number of people who have already been vaccinated; across the 11 markets studied, 1 in 4 people surveyed have now received at least one shot.
Commenting on the report, Jason Sadler, President, Cigna International Markets, said, “With global vaccine rollout progressing well, the report indicates that there is much to be positive about. Social acceptance plays an important role in trust, so being vaccinated or knowing someone who has been vaccinated leads to more positive views of the vaccine. 83% of those vaccinated trust COVID-19 vaccines are safe, whereas only 46% of those unvaccinated feel the same. Challenges remain, but the improved perception around vaccines and their safety should be welcomed.”
Perception varies across markets
Several markets still face issues regarding perceptions of vaccine safety. The difference between markets is striking. In South Korea, for example, just 32% of respondents agreed the COVID-19 vaccines available are ‘very safe’, this compared to 80% in the UK and 78% in the UAE. The other markets where concerns about the safety of COVID-19 vaccines remain high include Taiwan, Thailand and Hong Kong, all of which had less than 40% of respondents agreeing they are safe.
To communicate the facts about safety effectively and encourage vaccine uptake, it is critical that the authorities in these markets target their public information campaigns through the most trusted channels in their respective markets to have the greatest impact.
Companies can require employee vaccination in the US
The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ruled on 4 June 2021, that companies can require employees to get vaccinated and are also allowed to offer incentives. Millions of employees in the US have already been vaccinated safely, and while demand for the vaccine was initially high, companies and businesses now find themselves in a communications crisis, fighting rampant disinformation and needing to motivate the more hesitant and sceptical—without alienating them. No company wants to risk losing hard-working employees over these policies, but it is also vital that companies keep their teams safe and healthy. So how can companies effectively communicate with their staff, and how do they motivate vaccine-hesitant workers to get the vaccine? Organisations clearly need a strategic, crisis-minded communications approach in which empathy is vital in public health communications and strategies for countering fear-based scepticism.
Social media not trusted
Throughout the pandemic, misinformation on social media has created obstacles to successfully handling the pandemic and the vaccine rollout. However, the Study shows that only 5% of the respondents consider social media to be the most trusted source of information, despite the vast majority being social media users.
Social media falls behind government bodies, family doctors, private healthcare providers and TV news and documentaries. Although in the 18 – 34 age bracket, social media is the fourth most trusted source, for the over 35s, it falls to the seventh most trusted source. There is a marked difference between generations on this, with 7% of 18 – 34-year-olds saying it is their most trusted source, while in the over 55s this number falls to just 2%.
Dr Daniel Ober, Medical Officer, Cigna International Markets Americas, concluded, “The research shows people increasingly understand and trust COVID-19 vaccines. We know that vaccination is a critical part of ending this pandemic. The science demonstrates the overwhelming effectiveness of vaccines to prevent severe COVID-19 infections, hospitalisations and even death. Getting vaccinated is the most important thing for us to do, not just for ourselves but also for those we love. Our advice is clear, get vaccinated as soon as you can.”
Paul Arkwright
Publisher
