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Austrians’ attitudes toward Corona vaccination have changed in recent months. According to a survey, just under half of respondents currently want to be vaccinated “as soon as possible.”
According to a recent survey of 1,500 people, the willingness of people in Austria to be vaccinated in January is again significantly higher than it was last time. After a decline in October and December 2020, when only just under a third said “I will have myself vaccinated as soon as possible,” the current figure is 47 percent, which is even higher than the 45 percent in the first of four surveys conducted by the Vienna Center for Electoral Research.
Rejection of Corona vaccination down according to survey
Attitudes toward Corona vaccination have been surveyed by the Vienna Center for Electoral Research (VieCER) at the University of Vienna since May 2020 as part of the Austrian Corona Panel Project (ACPP). Compared to the 47 percent of respondents willing to be vaccinated in January 2021, 37 percent, or about one-third of the 1,500, still show a negative attitude. However, in December 2020, two weeks before the first Corona vaccination in Austria, there were still the same number of “rejecters” at 47 percent as there are “approvers” at present. However, a polarization of attitudes is also evident, as response options at the scale extremes (“strongly agree” and “strongly disagree”) were now selected more frequently.
General obligation to vaccinate is rejected
Further, only a minority of 25 percent are sympathetic to a general coronavirus vaccination requirement, but 47 percent are in favor of mandatory vaccination for occupational groups at high risk of infection. In the first survey in May 2020, support for mandatory vaccination was highest, at about one-third, and remained below one-quarter thereafter. “Ultimately, the statement that the vaccine should be provided free of charge is getting more and more support. In May, we found that 72 percent of respondents agreed with the statement; in January, the figure was as high as 82 percent,” the authors wrote about the responses to the third sub-question of the Austrian Corona Panel.
As the biggest change between the January survey and the previous surveys, the scientists cite the fact that vaccine is now available and that more than 60 million vaccine doses have already been administered worldwide. According to the data, vaccination skepticism seems to be slowly decreasing throughout Europe. In the case of Austria, however, it is not yet possible to speak of an upward trend; for this, the development must be observed further.
— sources:APA and vienna.at/picture: pixabay.com
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