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A new survey has found that people who are living in marginalised areas, people with populist views, and religious people, are more hesitant to get inoculated by the coronavirus vaccine, The Guardian reported.
On the other hand, people who have a considerably higher level of household income, adopters of public health measures, and people supportive of migration, look forward to getting vaccinated.
A team of researchers from the Australian National University carried out a survey involving 3,061 Australian adults. The survey was funded by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.
Also read:Misinformation impedes efforts to control Covid, say studies
The survey revealed that almost three in five Australians (58.5 per cent) said they would definitely get a vaccine once it was available. While 6 per cent said they definitely would not. Another 7 per cent said they probably would not get the vaccine.
The survey further revealed that women were slightly less likely than men to get a vaccine for themselves. As far as the age group was concerned, those aged 55 and older were less likely to be hesitant than those between 35 and 44.
The study noted: “Compared to those who had year 12 education only, those with an undergraduate or postgraduate university degree were less likely to be resistant or hesitant and more likely to intend to be vaccinated.”
The survey further found that respondents who had the Covidsafe app installed on their phones and those who trust their government and doctors were more likely to take the vaccination.
Also read:Covid-19 vaccine hesitancy linked to concerns over origin of virus: Study
Those with views categorised as “populist” were more likely to be hesitant or resistant to a vaccine.
Associate Prof Ben Edwards, a co-author of the study, said: “What we do know from other research more broadly about vaccine resistance is those who are most against vaccination tend to be very fixed in their views.”
“I don’t think that 6 per cent of our study will change. But the group of most interest from a policy point of view are those who are not certain. This survey, however, didn’t ask them why they were uncertain,” he added.
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