In mid-December, 47% of South Africans said they would fight off a coronavirus hit, a sharp increase since October.

• South Africa is split in half when it comes to accepting a coronavirus vaccine, according to the latest Ipsos survey.
• Almost half of all South African respondents said they would not accept the jab, and more people strongly opposed the inoculation against Covid-19, rather than in favor.
• Concerns about vaccine side effects, efficacy and “being against vaccines in general” are top concerns among those who reject the injection.
• Levels of distrust in South Africa’s vaccines, which have risen 15 percentage points since October, are outpacing the world average.
• For more stories, visit www.BusinessInsider.co.za.

South Africa plans to vaccinate 67% of the population, some 38 million citizens, against the coronavirus before the end of 2021. But the latest global survey shows that only 53% of South Africans would gladly accept the Covid-19 jab in the middle from December.

Like the virus itself, perceptions about the pandemic, containment measures, and ultimately the administration of a vaccine are constantly evolving.

But South Africa is far behind the global curve, not only in procuring vaccines that can prevent Covid-19, but also in perceptions of the effectiveness and safety of immunizations. These changes in attitudes have been detailed by global market researchers, Ipsos, as part of a series of surveys conducted for the World Economic Forum.

See also | SA may have been offered a 30% discount on the Pfizer vaccine, but that’s still expensive

The latest survey, conducted in mid-December, shows that South Africa’s willingness to accept a Covid-19 vaccine eroded until mid-December.

While this gradual trend is recognized as a global phenomenon, South Africans are, according to the Ipsos survey, well below the global average for people who would accept the Covid-19 vaccine. Of the 15 countries surveyed in December, an average of 65% of those surveyed said they were ready to accept a Covid-19 vaccine.

In South Africa, only 53% of those surveyed said they would accept the jab. This level of mistrust of vaccines is only surpassed by respondents in Russia (43%) and France (40%).

The Ipsos survey, which has been extended to more than 50,000 participants since July, also shows a greater degree of degradation in South Africans’ confidence in the development and distribution of Covid-19 vaccines.

In October, 68% of South African respondents said they would accept a Covid-19 vaccine if offered. The change in perceptions, with participants set to drop 15 percentage points in December, is the largest change recorded in the global survey.

While the survey demonstrates a clear division in public opinion regarding vaccines, it also exposes extreme polarization in South Africa. Most South Africans strongly agree or strongly disagree with receiving the Covid-19 vaccine. Those who take a more considerate approach, whether it be somewhat agree or somewhat disagree, are in the minority.

In addition, 26% of all South African respondents are strongly opposed to receiving the Covid-19 vaccine, while 25% are determined to receive the vaccine as soon as possible.

Of the 47% of South African respondents who said they would reject a Covid-19 vaccine, 65% cited concerns around possible side effects of the treatment. This concern is by far the most commonly cited cause for vaccine rejection on a global scale.

See also | Countries with better vaccination plans than South Africa now include Morocco, Panama and Lebanon

But South Africans cite “being against vaccines in general” as a reason to resist inoculation more than any other country surveyed, according to respondents in Russia. Additionally, a quarter of South African respondents said they would not take the vaccine because they thought it would “be ineffective” in preventing coronavirus infection.

Respondents in China, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Mexico, and Australia are more willing to accept a Covid-19 vaccine.

Countries surveyed alongside South Africa in the latest Ipsos survey include Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, South Korea, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

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