70% of Italian Citizens Support Vaccination... Only 12% Negative

On the 7th (local time), citizens are enjoying meals at a restaurant in the center of Turin, Italy. As the spread of COVID-19 slowed down, Italy partially eased lockdown measures from the 1st, allowing bars and restaurants to operate during the daytime.
[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] As Italy's COVID-19 vaccination campaign has begun in earnest, public opinion on vaccination is gradually becoming more positive.

On the 23rd (local time), the daily La Repubblica cited a recent survey conducted by the Pisa Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies' Institute of Management and Health on 12,322 Italians, reporting that 69.4% responded that "the fastest way to return life to normal is vaccination." Negative opinions accounted for only 11.7%.

Although the survey organizations and sample sizes differ, compared to previous related surveys in June and November last year where 33% and 16% of respondents respectively expressed refusal to be vaccinated, the proportion of negative responses has decreased.

This is analyzed to be because clinical results showing relatively good vaccine efficacy were released, and the initially feared side effects were not clearly observed, which has somewhat alleviated fears about vaccination.

By age group, 75.4% of the elderly aged 65 and over showed a favorable perception of vaccination, making them the most positive age group. In contrast, only 22.2% of those aged 35 to 44 expressed willingness to be vaccinated, classifying them as the most skeptical age group.

Additionally, a majority of Italians believe that providing accurate information is necessary to encourage vaccination. Among all survey respondents, 75.7% expressed the opinion that if accurate information about the risks of the vaccine is provided, the vaccinated population could increase.

Like other European Union (EU) countries, Italy began vaccinations on December 27 last year. As of that date, the number of vaccinated individuals was 3,608,645. The number of people who completed the second dose was 1,336,126, which is about 2.22% of Italy's total population of approximately 60 million.