Approximately 1 in 6 Belgians do not want to be vaccinated against coronavirus, according to a survey carried out by Ipsos on behalf of Het Nieuwsblad.
Of the nearly 1700 people questioned, only 36% want to get the vaccine as soon as possible, 47% not immediately and 17% never.
The survey also reveals striking differences between the desire for immediate vaccination across the regions:
- Flanders, 42% want to be vaccinated immediately,
- Brussels 36%,
- Wallonia 25%
Belgium has also displayed a strong regional divide towards potential vaccination, with 1 in 10 in Flanders saying they will not get it compared to a quarter of those in Wallonia.
Those against vaccinations have a collection of concerns, with 71% saying they feel the side effects are unclear. Additionally, 43% do not want it because the vaccine has not been sufficiently tested and 30% because the vaccine was developed in too short a time.
The study did find, however, that over-65s want to be vaccinated as quickly as possible (54%), with the least enthusiasm for rapid vaccination being found in the 25-34 age group (22%).
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A Worldwide Issue
Latest trends predict that less than three out of four people (73%) in the world are willing to be vaccinated against Covid-19, according to the results of a new study conducted by the World Economic Forum and Ipsos among 18,526 adults in 15 different countries.
According to Arnaud Bernaert, head of the World Economic Forum’s Health and Health Care Department, these results are significant enough to compromise the effectiveness of a vaccine and the end of the containment cycle. “It is essential that governments and the private sector work together to build confidence in the next steps. It is important to know that when a vaccine is ready, it will make a difference,” he said.
The biggest concerns are side effects (34%) and clinical trials moving too quickly (33%). A smaller proportion thinks the vaccine will not be effective (10%), admit to being against vaccines in general (10%), or think the risk of contracting Covid-19 is too low (8%).
“While the figures in this new study show that confidence in a vaccine against Covid-19 remains high, the growing hesitation is significant and underlines that a vaccine will not be effective if people refuse to be vaccinated,” Bernaert concluded.
The Brussels Times
