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According to a survey by YouGov, a large majority of urban Indians (68 per cent) may take the Covid-19 vaccines as soon as they are available while a quarter (24 per cent) are not sure whether to take the vaccine or not. Only 8 per cent of surveyed respondents are unwilling to get inoculated.
The survey comes as the vaccination drive is set to begin in India. According to an India Today report, 53 lakh doses of Covishield have been distributed among 13 cities across the country.
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The survey further revealed that over half (55 per cent) of the urban population say they trust the Indian-origin vaccines more than those from developed nations like the US, the UK and Russia.
Even surveyed respondents who expressed their willingness to receive the jab are concerned about safety. Two in five (41 per cent) have said they will wait a few months before taking the shot. A third (33 per cent), however, will get vaccinated as soon as it is available. A few would do so if vaccination is made compulsory by the government (13 per cent) or by the employer/educational institutes (11 per cent).
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Free vaccines
The report also highlighted that half of the surveyed respondents (50 per cent) said they would want the government to arrange free vaccines for everyone in the country.
Many (36 per cent) feel the vaccine should be freely distributed only to the poor, elderly or those who are severely sick. A few (14 per cent) think those interested in getting the vaccine should pay for it.
Prioritising people for vaccine
When asked about the order of priority, a vast majority feels patients suffering from high-risk diseases as well as senior citizens should be the top priority for the vaccination drive. Front line workers and people in the service industry (79 per cent) are also rated high in the list of vaccine priority.
The survey revealed that people are also concerned about the vaccine efficacy against the new strain of the virus. When asked about the likely impact of this variant, over half (53 per cent) fear it may affect vaccine development and response.
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