NEARLY THREE IN four people say they would ‘likely’ get a Covid-19 vaccine if one is found, according to a new survey conducted for the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association (IPHA).

The Ipsos MRBI survey published today found that 52% of people said they are very likely to get a potential vaccine while 21% would be fairly likely.

The IPHA is a group representing pharmaceutical companies in Ireland. 

More than four in five of those surveyed believe a vaccine will be found. 62% think it won’t be publicly available until next year. 

17% of people said they would be unlikely to get the vaccine and 10% are unsure. 

In April, a different survey found that more than one-third of Irish people said they are unsure if they would accept a potential vaccine for Covid-19.

In today’s survey results, almost everyone (94%) said they trust doctors and nurses with the facts about a vaccine, followed by healthcare experts at 91%.  

One-quarter of those surveyed believe it will be 2022 or later before a vaccine for Covid-19 is available.  

On Sunday, a scientist leading research in the UK said a Covid-19 vaccine could be rolled out in the first half of next year if trials are successful.

Professor Robin Shattock, who heads a team developing a vaccine at Imperial College London, said that enough doses would be available for everyone in the UK if trials go “really well”.

But he warned there was “no certainty” that any of the vaccines currently being developed will be successful, as it is dependent on the level of immunity needed to prevent infection.

First in line

Three-quarters of people surveyed said that frontline healthcare workers should be either first or second in line to receive a vaccine. 

83% of people believe that certain groups should be prioritised to get the vaccine first, such as people with underlying health conditions and the over-70s. 

The age group most likely to say they would get the vaccine if it becomes available is those aged 55+.

80% of people in this demographic said they would be likely to get the vaccine, while 78% of people who have either had the disease or know someone who had it said the same.   

Just one in ten people say they trust social media with information about a Covid-19 vaccine while almost half trust ‘the mainstream media’ with this information. 

The survey results are based on 979 phone interviews conducted between 15 and 30 June. 

This polling period coincided with the run-up to Ireland entering Phase Three of the government’s roadmap out of lockdown.