Majority of Spaniards will not get coronavirus vaccine without knowing the effects, poll finds

Spaniards are very interested in the upcoming coronavirus vaccines. Eight in 10 people have recently sought information about their development, according to a survey that was published on Friday by the state-funded CIS research institute.

A third, meanwhile, are willing to get the vaccine as soon as possible, but the majority – 55% – want to wait to see what effects it has before they opt to be immunized. Of these, 59.6% would get vaccinated immediately if their doctor recommended them to do so based on their medical history or due to the risk of infecting a relative.

At the other end of the scale, 16.7% of those surveyed responded saying that they would not get vaccinated “under any circumstance,” not even if their doctor recommended it.

Based on these poll results, the vaccine – which in principle will be voluntary – would cover approximately the number of people considered necessary to reach so-called “herd immunity,” cited by the scientists to be between 60 and 70%. The government has already announced a communication plan in order to increase the percentage of the population that opts for the vaccination, but no details of this have been made available yet.

Most undisciplined

A total of 2,131 people participated in the survey, which sought to measure the effects of the coronavirus among the Spanish population and their opinions on the measures being put in place in order to combat it. When asked about which section of the population is being the most undisciplined in terms of the coronavirus rules, 62.4% cited young people, followed by just 11.6% who said that all groups are being undisciplined.

In terms of how the pandemic has affected day-to-day life for those surveyed, the most common response was in relationships and way of life (49.8%), followed by emotional, work and financial aspects, things that were cited by approximately four in every 10 people polled.

Health minister: 15-20 million people could be vaccinated by mid-2021

Spain’s Health Minister Salvador Illa said on Friday that he believes that between 15 and 20 million people in Spain could be vaccinated against the coronavirus by the middle of next year. Speaking in the northern Spanish city of San Sebastián, the health chief said that there were no plans to alter the vaccination calendar, despite the problems being experienced by Pfizer with its supply chain and production process.

“We estimate that we will begin the vaccination campaign at the start of January, although we still don’t have a specific date,” he said. “Spain will be prepared so that when the first doses arrive, we can start to administer them.”

The minister also reiterated the government’s message about the dangers of mobility during the holidays coming up on December 6 and 8 (observed only on Tuesday in some regions, and on Monday and Tuesday in others), recommending that “the less movement, the better,” as a way to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

English version by Simon Hunter.