Nearly one in five people who haven’t received a Covid vaccine say they will resent those who did if they don’t get it in time for their summer vacation, new study finds .
Meanwhile, the proportion of the public who believe vaccine passports will violate civil liberties has increased since March and about half believe they will be sold on the black market.
The research, conducted by the University of Bristol, King’s College London and the NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Emergency Preparedness and Response, followed a survey of 4,896 UK adults aged 18 to 75 between April 1 and April 16.
He found that 18% of people who haven’t received a Covid vaccine say they will resent those who did if they don’t get it in time for their summer vacation – but a majority ( 58%) say they won’t. feel such resentment.
People in higher income households are more likely to predict they will feel this way with 24% of unvaccinated people from households earning more than £ 55,000 a year saying they will feel resentful if they do not receive not the vaccine on time. for their vacation, compared to 14% of those earning between £ 20,000 and £ 34,999.
People aged 18 to 44 (20%) who have not yet been vaccinated are twice as likely as those aged 45 and over (8%) to say they will be irritated, which is likely to reflect the very different levels of immunization coverage. between different age groups.
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More generally, about one in eight unvaccinated people (12%) also say they currently feel resentment towards those who received the vaccine. But many more – two-thirds (67%) – don’t feel this way.
Meanwhile, 31% of the public now believe vaccination passports will reduce our civil liberties – up from 25% last month.
The belief that vaccination passports will have negative effects is much more common among people who say they are unlikely or certainly will not accept a coronavirus vaccine.
In total, 76% of this group believe that passports will infringe civil liberties, compared to 31% of the general public who believe it.
There is also widespread concern about the ability to control counterfeits, with 49% of the general public believing vaccination passports will be sold on the black market – up from 44% in March.
Professor Bobby Duffy, Director of the Policy Institute at King’s College London, said: “There is widespread support for the phased approach to vaccination in the UK, targeting older people first. and the most vulnerable, as evidenced by the fact that only 12% of those unvaccinated today say they are angry with those who have been.
“This undoubtedly reflects in part the speed and efficiency of the global vaccine rollout, as people can be sure they will have their turn soon.
“However, there are clear limits to this – with the summer holiday season a key goal that many have in mind and a potential test of our collective mind if some are free to travel while others are not. are not.
“Public confidence in the fairness and reliability of any vaccine passport system will need to be carefully fostered, as large minorities start with suspicion about its impact on civil liberties, and half believe it could be used fraudulently. “