Social Impact of COVID-19 Survey February 2021: Vaccination Attitudes and Holiday Expectations

Just over 3% of survey respondents reported that they had received at least their first COVID-19 vaccine injection prior to their interview.

Respondents who had not yet received the vaccine were asked would they get vaccinated next week if it were possible to do so. Almost nine in ten (87.0%) said Yes, they would get vaccinated next week if possible.

Respondents who would not get vaccinated next week were asked when, ideally, they would like to get the COVID-19 vaccine. An answer option to this question was ‘I do not want to get the vaccine’.

Of those not yet vaccinated, 2.7% said they would get it Later - sometime in 2021/2022, while 5.4% of respondents said they Do not want to get the vaccine. One in twenty (4.9%) respondents did not know when they want to get vaccinated.  See Table 2.1 and Figure 2.1.

Analysis by sex shows that male respondents were more likely to report that they would take the vaccine next week compared with female respondents (92.5% versus 81.6%). Female respondents were four times more likely to say they Do not want to get the vaccine compared with males (8.7% versus 2.1%) and almost twice as likely to say they did not know when they want to get the vaccine (6.4% versus 3.4%).  See Table 2.1 and Figure 2.2.

Older respondents, those aged 70 years and over, were mostly likely (96.1%) to report that they would take the vaccine next week. Respondents aged 35-44 were least likely (76.7%) to want to get the vaccine next week and most likely (10.0%) to report they Do not want to get the vaccine.  See Table 2.1 and Figure 2.3.

Analysis of respondents by household composition shows that respondents living in households with children were least likely (77.0%) to report they would get the vaccine next week and most likely to say they Do not want to get the vaccine (10.9%). Respondents living in households consisting of two or more adults only were most likely (95.7%) to want to get the vaccine next week with only 0.6% stating they Do not want to get the vaccine.  See Table 2.1 and Figure 2.4.

Respondents that Do not want to get the vaccine were asked the reasons why they do not want to get vaccinated and the answer options to this question were

     1. I do not think it will protect me from COVID-19
     2. I am worried that the vaccine will give me COVID-19
     3. I am worried about short-term side effects
     4. I am worried about long-term side effects
     5. I am worried it might affect an existing health condition
     6. I am worried it might be painful
     7. I do not think I need the vaccine as I have already tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19)
     8. I do not think that if I got the virus that it would impact negatively on my health
     9. I am against vaccines in general
    10. Other reason

Respondents could choose multiple answers.

Respondents that Do not want to get the vaccine accounted for 5.4% of respondents that had not received the vaccine at the time of interview.

Two in three (66.2%) of these respondents reported that they Do not want to get the vaccine because they are Worried about long-term side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine.  One in five (20.5%) respondents who Do not want to get the vaccine believe that the vaccine would not protect them from COVID-19.  More than one in six (17.3%) of these respondents were Worried about short-term side effects with one in nine (11.7%) worried the COVID-19 vaccine Might affect  an existing health condition.  Of respondents who Do not want to get the vaccine, 6.6% said that they do not need to get vaccinated as they have already tested positive for COVID-19.  A similar percentage (6.2%) of these respondents said that if they were to become infected with the virus that it would not impact negatively on their health.  One in twenty-five (4.0%) respondents that Do not want to get the vaccine are Against vaccines in general while 1.5% were concerned that the vaccine would give them COVID-19.  No respondent reported that they did not want to get the vaccine due to the injection(s) being painful.  Less than 4% of respondents that Do not want to get the vaccine said it was because of an Other reason.  See Table 2.2 and Figure 2.5.

 

Due to survey sample size and the proportion of respondents that reported that they did not want to get the vaccine, analysis by various demographic characteristics is not possible.

All respondents except the 5.4% of respondents that Do not want to get the vaccine were asked how concerned they are about each of the following aspects of the COVID-19:

1. Getting short-term side effects after vaccination
2. Getting long-term side effects after vaccination
3. The effectiveness of the vaccine against different strains of the virus
4. Vaccinated individuals spreading COVID-19 to individuals not yet vaccinated
5. The length of time that the vaccine will protect you from the COVID-19 virus
6. As more COVID-19 vaccines become available, different levels of effectiveness between the vaccines

Respondents not yet vaccinated were also asked how concerned they were about the vaccine injection being painful and about having a long wait before getting vaccinated.

Respondents could answer “Not at all”, “Somewhat”, “Very” or “Extremely” to these questions.  They were also given the opportunity to describe any other worries they had relating to COVID-19 vaccination and to state whether they were "Somewhat", "Very" or "Extremely" concerned about them.

 

Almost one in two (46.3%) respondents who want to get vaccinated said that they were Very or Extremely worried about having a long wait before getting vaccinated. Just over one in five (21.3%) respondents that have received or want to receive the vaccine said that they were Very or Extremely concerned about the length of time the vaccine will protect them from the COVID-19 virus. Similar proportions were Very or Extremely concerned about the effectiveness of the vaccine against different strains of the virus (20.7%), vaccinated individuals spreading COVID-19 to individuals not yet vaccinated (20.5%), different levels of effectiveness between vaccines (19.1%) and long-term side effects (18.2%).

One in thirteen (7.7%) respondents that have received or want to receive the vaccine were Very or Extremely concerned about short-term side effects.  One in twenty five (3.9%) of those who want to get vaccinated were Very or Extremely concerned that the injection(s) might be painful.  See Tables 2.3-2.10 and Figure 2.6.

Female respondents were more likely to report being Very or Extremely concerned about all aspects of the vaccine compared with male respondents.  Female respondents were considerably more likely to report being Very or Extremely concerned about different levels of effectiveness between vaccines (24.4% compared with 13.9% of male respondents), long-term side effects (22.6% compared with 14.0% of male respondents), the effectiveness against different strains of the virus (24.6% compared with 17.0% of male respondents) and vaccinated individuals spreading COVID-19 to individuals not yet vaccinated (23.8% compared with 17.3% of male respondents).  Female respondents were nearly twice as likely to report being Very or Extremely concerned about short-term side effects compared with male respondents (10.0% compared with 5.4% of male respondents).  See Tables 2.3-2.10 and Figure 2.7.

Respondents aged 18-34 were most likely (6.1%) to report being Very or Extremely concerned about the injection(s) being painful while respondents aged 45-54 were most likely (26.2%) to report being Very or Extremely concerned about the length of time the vaccine will protect from the COVID-19 virus. Respondents aged 35-44 were most likely to be Very or Extremely concerned about all other aspects of the vaccine.

The rate reporting Extremely concerned about having a long wait before getting vaccinated was highest for younger respondents, those aged 18-34, wanting to get vaccinated with more than one in four (27.4%) reporting this as an extreme concern.  The comparable rate for respondents aged 70 years and over was 9.1%.

Respondents aged 70 years and over were also least likely to be Very or Extremely concerned about long-term side effects (5.0%) and the effectiveness of the vaccine against different strains of the virus (11.5%).

Respondents that had attained post-secondary and short-cycle tertiary education were most likely to report being Very or Extremely concerned about all aspects of the vaccine.  Respondents with third level bachelor or higher were least likely to report being Very or Extremely concerned about all aspects of the vaccine except for effectiveness of the vaccine against different strains of the virus. See Tables 2.3-2.10.