A fifth (22%) of people have said that when a Covid-19 vaccine is
approved, they’re unlikely to get it, with 10% of people saying
they were ‘very unlikely’ to get vaccinated, find UCL researchers
as part of the Covid-19 Social Study. Only half (49%) of people
reported being ‘very likely’ to get vaccinated.
Results also suggest substantial levels of
misinformation amongst the general public about vaccines, with
half (53%) of respondents believing to varying degrees that
vaccines can cause unforeseen effects. In addition to this,
almost a third (30%) showed substantial beliefs that vaccines can
cause future problems in adults or children which have not yet
been discovered, and 15% report believing to varying degrees that
vaccines do not work.
A quarter (25%) of respondents believe to varying
degrees that vaccines are used for commercial profiteering, with
around 4% strongly believing that vaccine programmes are a con
from pharmaceutical companies, and public authorities promote
vaccination for financial gain.
Launched in the week before lockdown started, the
ongoing UCL Covid-19 Social Study is funded by the Nuffield
Foundation with additional support from Wellcome and UK Research
and Innovation (UKRI). It is the UK’s largest study
into how adults are feeling about the lockdown,
government advice and overall wellbeing and mental health with
over 70,000 participants who have been followed across the last
26 weeks.
Lead author, Dr Daisy Fancourt (UCL Epidemiology
& Health Care) said: “Our study highlights a concerning level
of misinformation around vaccines, which could significantly
affect uptake once a Covid-19 vaccine is approved.
“Whilst the majority of people have said they are
likely to get a Covid-19 vaccine once one is available, a
worrying amount of respondents have said that not only will they
not get the vaccine, but that they don’t believe vaccines work or
worry about potential side-effects, concerns that lack any basis
in fact.
“It is critical the government and public health
bodies publicise the importance of getting a vaccination, and
explain why it will be critical in fighting the virus and
protecting society.”
The study also looked at intentions to get the flu
vaccine this year, which is being promoted more heavily than
usual to try and help control the burden of the flu season on the
health service but which is not freely available for
everyone. 64% reported that they would
be likely to get a flu vaccine this winter, while 21% reported
they were very unlikely to get the flu vaccine.
Older adults were nearly three times as likely to
report strongly on intentions to get a flu vaccine (73% of over
60 year olds very likely vs 25% of 18-29 year olds), which
matches usual patterns in vaccination against the flu, but is a
divide that wasn’t clearly replicated with the Covid-19 vaccine
(58% of over 60s very likely vs 45/46% of 18-59s).
Notably, older adults felt they were
more likely to get the flu vaccine (73%) than a Covid-19 vaccine
(58%).
Cheryl Lloyd, Education Programme Head at the
Nuffield Foundation said: “These findings reveal valuable
insights into public concerns about vaccinations and highlight
the importance of building public trust in the safety and
efficacy of a COVID-19 vaccine, particularly at a time when there
is a significant lack of confidence in the government response to
the pandemic.
“Given people’s reasons for distrust of vaccines,
transparency about the scientific evidence and the role of
commercial providers is likely to be a key factor in gaining
public trust, as is involving the public in the decision-making
process.”
The study team has also received support from
Wellcome to launch an international network of longitudinal
studies called the COVID-MINDS Network. Through the network,
dozens of scientists and clinicians are coming together
internationally to collate results from mental health studies
running in countries around the world and compare findings. The
initiative will support launching new mental health studies in
other countries and show whether actions taken in specific
countries are helping to protect mental health.
