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OVER HALF OF people in Ireland would take a Covid-19 vaccine if there was one, according to a new survey.
The survey, conducted by Ipsos MRBI for the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association (IPHA) found 55% would take the vaccine, while 33% said they were unsure. 12% of respondents said they would not take a vaccine.
The World Health Organisation has said 44 candidate vaccines are in clinical evaluation with 10 of those at the final Phase Three clinical stage. This stage involves trials with hundreds of thousands of people.
Results from a number of these vaccine trials have been encouraging and some are aiming to file for authorisation as early as November.
The survey from IPHA revealed 60% of men would take the vaccine while half of women said they would take it. The age group most likely to take the vaccine were the over-65s, followed by people aged between 35 and 44.
Younger people were the least likely to take the vaccine, with 19% of those aged between 25 and 34 and 18% of those aged between 18 and 24 saying they would not take it.
The survey involved 975 telephone interviews with adults aged over 18.
Oliver O’Connor, chief executive of IPHA, said the world is still some distance from an approved vaccine for Covid-19, but there is “cause for hope”.
“Although all of us want to see the back of the pandemic, it is not about how fast we can get a vaccine. What matters is that it is safe and that it works,” he said.
“These are the priorities for our industry, working with the regulatory agencies. We must move at the speed of science. We would encourage the public to get their vaccinations, especially now that we are in flu season.”
It can typically take 10 to 15 years to bring a vaccine to the market. The fastest-ever – the vaccine for mumps – needed four years in the 1960s.
Speaking to TheJournal.ie recently, Dr Fidelma Fitzpatrick, consultant and senior lecturer in microbiology at the Royal College of Surgeons (RCSI) said the pace has been “unprecedented”. She said there has never been such an intense focus on the development of a vaccine all across the world.
Fitzpatrick said she acknowledged some people may be wary of getting a new vaccine – and one that has been developed so quickly.
“Knowledge is power here. I always say to people to go and read the facts for themselves, go to reliable sources to inform yourself when you’re making a decision,” she said.
There has never been a time when the entire world has been so focused on one type of vaccination programme so there will be huge scrutiny of the safety of these vaccines. The whole point of the Phase Three trials is to find any rare side effects that wouldn’t come through in the Phase One and Two trials.
“This isn’t going to get a free pass, there’s too much to lose, the entire world is looking at it so the regulators aren’t just going to push things through.”
You’ll be missed, Iain. :(
Thanks for the stories, you’ll be missed
RIP, Iain. You were bloody fantastic.
Started to re-read his books again since the news of illness. Sad to hear he died. Enjoying Whit all over again.
RIP
RIP
The Algebraist is one of my favourite sci-fi novels of all time.
I hope they make a culture movie!
Me two. Consider phleabus please.
RIP, thanks for the books. You will be remembered.
A brave, talented writer
RIP to a gifted writer.
Fantastic writer. I still have The Crow Road to read. So many great books by him.
RIP
Crow Road is a gem. I wish I could read it for the first time again.
Never read his books as not a si if fan, but as a fellow cancer sufferer, may he rest in peace.
Joan – “Viva forever / I’ll be waiting / Everlasting / Like the sun”
Joan he has as extensive a fiction catalog as he does science fiction. Well worth a read.
I’m finishing his most recent sci-fi right now, having just finished his most recent fiction.
My christmas books will meet be the same
Ronan obviously I’ve missed something, need to investigate, I’m an avid reader!
Joan.. He went under the name Iain M Banks when writing his sci fi novels… That should help.. Make sure to read the wasp factory and crow road… Bloody sublime.
Thanks Dave!
RIP – a great author. I love The Crow Road.
Why does God give people cancer?
Patrick, why indeed. 59 is no age but he achieved more than most and will be sadly missed.
Ah – I see a couple of right-wing religious nuts are out in force. They have no answers of course.
How sad … Read the wasp factory meny moons ago and it was a masterpiece … My English teacher borrowed it and said it was the best fiction he ever read . I think that says it all .. Great writer !
Tom sharpe and Iain banks in one week. Too sad. Dead air is my favourite banks book.
‘The Bridge’, ‘The Player of Games’ and ‘Use of Weapons’.
What a brilliant talent.
So sad, I loved the Wasp Factory. RIP
Never read any of his sci-fi but my personal favourite Complicity was a great and underrated book of his. A very talented storyteller. He leaves a valuable legacy to future generations who appreciate good writing.
Very sorry to hear this,huge fan, rest in peace Iain……
It’s a toss up who was the greatest SF writer, Banks or Philip K Dick. All very sudden. Apparently he didn’t suffer towards the end. 59 is very young nowadays. I’m reading The Hydrogen Sonata. Maybe I’ll read it slowly.
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