COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy fell by 45 points in 12 months, says Ipsos MRBI tracker research for IPHA

Vaccination, alongside responsible public health measures, are helping to protect against serious illness and death from the disease

COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy fell by 45 points in 12 months, according to an analysis of surveys conducted by Ipsos MRBI for the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association (IPHA), the representative body for the research-based biopharmaceutical industry.

In November 2020, 17% of people said they would refuse a COVID-19 vaccine. By last month, that figure had dropped to 5%. Between November 2020 and November 2021, the proportion of people undecided about taking a COVID-19 vaccine fell from 35% to 2%. That places the overall drop in hesitancy at 45 points.

Among 18 to 34-year-olds, the proportion of people who would refuse a vaccine for COVID-19 has dropped from 19% in November 2020 to 6% in November 2021. The proportion of people in that age category undecided about taking a COVID-19 vaccine fell from 38% to 3% in the same period. That means hesitancy among people aged between 18 and 34 dropped by 48 points in 12 months.

Around 1.2 million people are aged between 18 and 34 out of a population of about five million.

Overall, 93% of people either intend to get vaccinated for COVID-19 or have already received a vaccine for the disease, according to the latest survey*.

The research-based biopharmaceutical industry said COVID-19 vaccines are saving and protecting millions of lives around the world.

Bernard Mallee, Director of Communications and Advocacy at IPHA, said: “From childhood to later in life, the development of vaccines has protected us from serious, and sometimes deadly, diseases. In Ireland, smallpox, rubella, polio, tuberculosis, diphtheria, pneumonia and measles used to be part of life. Now, we don’t have to worry about them as much.

“Vaccines for COVID-19, developed in record time without compromising on safety and quality, are saving and protecting millions of lives around the world. That COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy is low in Ireland has helped to make us one of the most vaccinated countries in the world. Vaccination reduces serious illness and mortality, giving us a very effective weapon in the battle against COVID-19.

“Vaccines, allied with public health measures, protect health and save lives. The emergence of the Omicron variant, and the increased transmissibility of the Delta variant, show that we need to keep searching for new scientific paths to combat the virus. We are fortunate to live at a time of unprecedented medical innovation. We should continue to trust science and to heed public health advice.”

With the exception of clean, safe drinking water, vaccination is among the most successful and cost-effective public health interventions ever. The World Health Organisation estimates that vaccines save up to three million lives every year.

IPHA’s new life-course immunisation campaign, ‘Progress. Developed by Vaccines’, is live on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

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About This Survey

*Ipsos MRBI conducted 1,003 telephone interviews with adults aged over 18 between November 1^st and November 14^th, 2021. The sample was nationally representative for age, gender, geography and social class.

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