Photographer: Simon Dawson / Bloomberg
Photographer: Simon Dawson / Bloomberg
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The UK will need more than just a simple communication campaign to ensure people get a potential coronavirus vaccine, after research showed that less than a third of the population was desperately looking to be inoculated.
A poll by King’s College London and Ipsos Mori released on Sunday showed British people skeptical of science and authority were more likely to say they would refuse a fax. While 43% said they would most likely or fairly likely get a vaccine if one became available, 16% said they probably would or would not, and 11% did not know.
Fax skeptics
Respondents asked if they would get a vaccine for coronavirus if it became available
Sources: King’s College London and Ipsos Mori
Professor Bobby Duffy, director of the Policy Institute at King’s College London, said the study showed that the government would have to launch a nuanced campaign to tackle misinformation. Of the 2,237 people surveyed, skepticism about vaccines was higher among people who said wearing face masks was bad for human health and that too much was being done about the pandemic. more than 46,000 people in the UK have been murdered
Those who rely on WhatsApp for much of their Covid-19 information are also unlikely to get a potential coronavirus vaccine. People between the ages of 55 and 75 were twice as likely to say they would get a vaccine as those between 16 and 34.
“The study shows how uncertain large sections of the population are about faxes, and how much this is tied to where they get their information, but also their broader underlying beliefs and values,” Duffy said in an email. “If and when a vaccine becomes available, it means that a simple communication approach will not be enough on its own — we will need customized messages for different groups, and use social media platforms to contain and dispel blatant conspiracy theories. ”
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