Vaccination in Ukraine: barriers and opportunities (March 18-19, 2021)

• Over the year, the number of those who disagree with the opinion that the coronavirus is not worse than the common flu has increased (from 54% to 59%). At the same time, the number of those who share the opposing opinion has increased (from 32%  to 39%).

 

• Over the last month, there has been a slight increase in terms of the emotional tension index among respondents. Thus, in March, 26% assessed their emotional state as tense (in February - 23%). 43% assessed their condition as calm, 30% as average. Higher level of emotional tension is observed among women, older respondents, and especially among those who have been sick with COVID-2019 in severe form. Over the entire period of research (March 2020 - March 2021), the highest scores of emotional tension were recorded in November last year.

 

• The number of those who think they have had COVID-19 has increased over the last two months (from 16% to 24%). The number of the latter is higher among the middle-aged respondents, in the West and Center of the country.

 

• Among those who believe they have already had covid, half had tested positive for coronavirus, almost as many have had symptoms but had not tested. Among those who have experienced COVID-19, 42% have had mild form of the disease, 45% - average,  and 13% - severe.

 

• Considering the level of loyalty towards vaccination against coronavirus, the respondents’ opinions are split almost equally. 37% are loyal towards vaccination against COVID-19 (26% - super loyal, 11% - loyal). 41% are critics of vaccination (31% - super critics, 10% - critics). The rest are so-called "neutrals". Relatively higher number of vaccination critics  was recorded among young and middle-aged people (18-49 years old), women, residents of the South and East, voters of “Shariy Party”, “Murayev Party”, and “Opposition Platform – Za Zhyttia”. At the same time, the most loyal towards vaccination are supporters of “European Solidarity”, “Ukrainian Strategy of Hroisman”, and “Holos”. Those who are not afraid of getting sick with coronavirus, think they have had COVID-19 but had not tested, believe the vaccine is more about earnings than about protecting people, and think most vaccines are dangerous are generally more critical of vaccination.

 

• Despite the contradictory attitude towards the coronavirus vaccination process, over the last five years, loyalty towards vaccinating children against various diseases has increased: 65% definitely  and 24% rather support vaccination of children against diseases such as polio, measles, tuberculosis, hepatitis B, diphtheria, etc.

 

• Respondents relatively more trust vaccines made in the UK, the US, and the EU (about half). Do not trust - about 20%. Vaccines made in India are trusted by 30%, distrusted - 45%; 23% hesitated to answer. Vaccines from China are trusted by 17%, distrusted - 35%; 46% could not answer. On the other hand, Russian vaccines are least trusted: 19% trust them, 58% distrust; 24% hesitated to answer. Relatively higher number of supporters of the vaccine produced in Russia was recorded among residents of the South and East, senior respondents, super-critics of the coronavirus vaccination process, voters of “Opposition Platform – Za Zhyttia, “Shariy Party”, and “Murayev Party”. 

 

• Start of the vaccination campaign has somewhat updated willingness to get vaccinated against coronavirus: currently 38% are ready to get paid vaccination, and 47% are ready to be vaccinated for free. This is somewhat more as compared to last month (32% and 39% were ready in February, respectively). At the same time, half are not ready to be vaccinated even for free.

 

• At the same time, if the state insures against side effects, the readiness to get vaccinated for free increases up to 57%; 40% are still not ready.

 

• 27% are willing to be vaccinated with COVIESHIELD vaccine. 67% do not want to be vaccinated with this medication. Although in general older respondents are more willing to be vaccinated against COVID-19, this trend is vanishing referring the readiness to be vaccinated with COVIESHIELD, especially among older women. In general, those who are not afraid of getting sick and believe in the myths about the coronavirus and vaccines, are less willing to be vaccinated with any vaccine.

 

• 71% think that mass vaccination against coronavirus will reduce the incidence in the world, a quarter disagree with this. Typically, half (!) of those who are not ready to be vaccinated believe that mass vaccination against coronavirus will reduce the incidence in the world.

 

• About one-third of respondents think that most or all vaccines are safe, while almost half believe that only some vaccines are safe, 16% think all vaccines are dangerous.

 

• The main reasons why people are not willing to be vaccinated against coronavirus in Ukraine are distrust in the vaccine currently imported and fear of side effects (about half). Every fifth cited distrust of the government as a whole and doubts that the vaccine would protect against new types of the virus. 13% distrust vaccination as such.

 

• 55% agree that vaccines were invented to protect people, while 38% think that vaccines are kind of a way to make money on people and to control them.

 

• Although the assessment of the vaccination efficiency in the world is optimistic, the attitude towards vaccination in Ukraine is very skeptical. The average score of the vaccination process in Ukraine is 2.3 on a five-point scale. A quarter rated the vaccination process in the country as terrible, one-third as poor, and one-third as average. Less than 10% rated the vaccination process as good or excellentl.

 

• 46% believe that the Minister of Health is most responsible for the timely vaccination of the population. 16% name the President, 15% - the Chief Sanitary Doctor, 11% - the Verkhovna Rada, 4% - the Prime Minister. Within a month, the assessment of the President's responsibility has decreased, while in terms of the Chief Sanitary Doctor it has increased.

• 34% said they had enough information about the progress of vaccination against coronavirus in Ukraine, 27% - rather enough. At the same time, for almost 40% information about vaccination is rather insufficient. Older respondents, as well as those who assess vaccination progress better, consider themselves more informed of the vaccination course. But even among them, every sixth lacks information about the vaccination progress.

 

• 44% do not know how to register for a coronavirus vaccination, 32% have heard about it, and 24% are well informed. The least informed are residents of the East and South. Among those willing to be vaccinated with the COVIESHIELD vaccine, one-third don’t know how to arrange it.

 

• Assessing common prejudices about vaccination, respondents’ opinion vary as follows: almost half of the polled (46%) agree that there are better ways to boost immunity than vaccination. At the same time, 42% share the opposing opinion. The statement that people with chronic diseases cannot be vaccinated is supported by 40%, 36% do not support it (23% have not decided). One-third of respondents believe that those who have already had the coronavirus do not need to be vaccinated, more than half - disagree.

 

• A quarter of the polled believe that it is better to get sick with coronavirus than to be vaccinated; over 60% share the opposing opinion about the latter thesis. In general, these claims are more supported by critics and super-critics of vaccination, people with an external position, as well as those who are not afraid to get sick with the coronavirus. Young and middle-aged people (under 50) are more likely to agree with the existence of better methods of boosting immunity than the vaccine. About one-third of respondents under 40 years old, as well as those who have experienced the coronavirus, agree that it is better to get sick than to be vaccinated.

 

• Comparing the threats of the virus and the vaccination process, the majority believes the virus itself is more dangerous (74%) as compared to the vaccine against it (15%). Those who are not afraid of getting sick and super-critics of vaccination, supporters of “Murayev Party”, “Opposition Platform – Za Zhyttia”, and “Radical Part”’ are more likely to notice the danger of the vaccine.