More than a quarter of adults in the European Union are unlikely to take the COVID-19 vaccine when it is offered to them.
This is evidenced by the results of a survey conducted by Eurofound, according to Reuters.
The results also suggest a strong link between unwillingness to vaccinate and social media use, especially where social media is the main source of information.
“Unfortunately, these findings reflect the inability to communicate convincingly and clearly on the efficacy and safety of vaccines,” said Daphne Arendt, Senior research director at Eurofound.
The most reluctant about the vaccine are Bulgarians 67% of adults in this country said that they are unlikely to accept it. In Ireland, only 10% of adults said they would not take the shot.
The survey revealed the division of Europe into east and west. With the exception of France and Austria, the intention to get vaccinated was above 60% in all Western member States — for this, the northern and Mediterranean countries, Denmark and Ireland have even higher rates.
Vaccination intentions in the eastern member states are lower, ranging from 59% in Romania to 33% in Bulgaria.
The survey was conducted between February and March 2021 after a year of living with COVID-19 restrictions in the 27 member countries of the bloc.
