35% of Brits unlikely to take COVID-19 vaccine: Poll

LONDON

Over a third, 35%, of Brits said they were unlikely to take the COVID-19 vaccine, according to a new poll released on Sunday.

The poll was carried out by Opinium for the Observer newspaper, and also found that 48% of Brits were worried that it will not be safe, and 47% worried it will not be effective.

Over half, 55%, said they were worried it will have side-effects.

Still, only 20% said they were unlikely to take the vaccine when it becomes available if the government recommends they take it, which is less than the 24% who replied the same two weeks ago.

Overall, 68% said they would be likely to take it when it becomes available and the government recommends they take it, up from 67% two weeks ago.

The British Department of Health said the vaccine will be deployed from next Tuesday.

The first batch of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine arrived last Thursday, and around 800,000 doses will be available in the UK from next week.

The government has ordered 40 million doses of that vaccine, enough for 20 million people who will be given two doses each 21 days apart.

The government has also announced the order of people in which they will be vaccinated.

First will be residents in care homes and their carers, followed by over-80s and frontline health and social care workers.

Then over-75s, followed by over-70s and those who are extremely clinically vulnerable, then over-65s, then those aged 16 to 64 with underlying health conditions.

These groups will be followed by over-60s, then over-55s, and then over-50s.