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HomeWeekly RoundupHSRC Survey shows potential acceptance of a COVID-19 vaccine in South Africa

HSRC Survey shows potential acceptance of a COVID-19 vaccine in South Africa

Authors, Narnia Bohler-Muller, divisional executive and Benjamin Roberts a research director in the developmental, capable and ethical state (DCES) research division at the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), Kate Alexander, South African research chair in social change and Carin Runciman, director of the Centre for Social Change, both at the University of Johannesburg, and Ngqapheli Mchunu, a PhD researcher in the DCES research division, HSRC write:

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to inflict appreciable burdens of morbidity and mortality in South Africa, while also causing extreme social and economic disruption. In response, ensuring an effective large-scale and equitable rollout of a COVID-19 vaccine(s) has become a pressing issue.

It has given rise to significant debate and vaccine activism, but it has also raised concerns about potential public hesitancy to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. This issue was examined in Round 3 of the UJ-HSRC COVID-19 Democracy Survey conducted from 29 December 2020 to 6 January 2021.

There were 10,618 fully completed questionnaires, a large sample. Responses were weighted by race, age and education, so that findings are broadly representative of South Africa’s adult population.

 

The authors write in Daily Maverick:
Our survey of attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccination in South Africa shows that a higher proportion of the population is willing to be vaccinated than suggested by other recent studies. About two-thirds of the population definitely or probably want the vaccine. However, despite ample evidence of the safety and efficacy of vaccines, about a third of the population are still sceptical about vaccination.

Public health communication and messaging will need to take people’s explanations for their hesitancy and opposition seriously if they are to be convincing.

A follow-up Daily Maverick article we are preparing will assist with this objective. It explores people’s views for and against vaccination based on responses to a qualitative question in our survey.

This article strongly suggests that messaging should be addressed, in particular, towards better-educated people and those who are disillusioned with the government and its handling of the pandemic so far. Targeted vaccine literacy interventions will be required to help provide factual information where it is lacking, the scale of which will necessitate government partnerships with non-government and civil society organisations.

Transparency is key in addressing hesitancy, and good leadership is essential. To persuade people about the benefits of vaccination it will be necessary for President Cyril Ramaphosa and other leaders in society to listen to the range of concerns, not just conspiracy theories, and address these appropriately. Through such efforts it is possible that misinformed and reticent members will be convinced to reconsider their views.

 

[link url="http://www.hsrc.ac.za/en/news/media-and-covid19/a-hesitant-nation-sa"]HSRC material[/link]

 

[link url="https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2021-01-24-a-hesitant-nation-survey-shows-potential-acceptance-of-a-covid-19-vaccine-in-south-africa/"]Survey[/link]

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