U.S. and U.K. are optimistic indicators for COVID-19 vaccination uptake

A new Ipsos survey conducted in partnership with the World Economic Forum after the first COVID-19 vaccinations in the United States and the United Kingdom points to a recent uptick in vaccination intent in both countries.

The 15-country survey conducted December 17-20 among 13,500 adults on Ipsos’s Global Advisor online platform finds the highest levels of vaccination intent in China with 80% agreeing they would get a vaccine if it were available.

Among the other countries surveyed, intention to get vaccinated against COVID-19 is:

• Fairly high in Brazil (78%), Mexico (77%), the U.K. (77%), Australia (75%), South Korea (75%), and Canada (71%);
• Middling in the U.S. (69%); Germany (65%), Italy (62%), Spain (62%), and Japan (60%); but
• Low in South Africa (53%), Russia (43%), and most of all, France (40%).

Since October, the percentage of those who strongly or somewhat agree has increased in the U.S. (+5 points), but it has dropped markedly in many of the other countries – most of all in South Africa (-15 points), France (-14), Japan (-9), and South Korea (-8).

However, the proportion of those who strongly agree is up significantly not only in the U.S. (+9 points to 38%), but also in the U.K (+5 to 46%). It has fallen in several countries, but none shows a drop of more than seven points.

Reasons for not taking a vaccine

In every country, between 57% and 80% of those who say they would not take a COVID-19 vaccine mention being worried about the side effects.

Doubts about its effectiveness are the second-most common reason in many countries, cited by as many as 45% in Russia, but only 17% in Japan.

Not being enough at risk from COVID-19 is mentioned by 32% in China and 25% in the U.K., but only by 8% in South Korea.

Opposition to vaccines in general is cited by about one in four of those who won’t get a COVID-19 vaccine in Russia and South Africa, but by fewer than 10% in South Korea, Japan, and China.

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The survey was conducted by Ipsos on its Global Advisor online platform, December 17-20, 2020, with a sample of 13,542 adults 18-74 years of age in Canada, and South Africa, and the United States, and 16-74 in Australia, Brazil, China (mainland), France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, South Korea, Spain, and the United Kingdom. The sample consists of approximately 1,000 individuals in each of Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Spain, the U.K., and the U.S., and approximately 500 individuals in Mexico, Russia, and South Africa.