People who are hesitant about taking Covid-19 vaccines appear to know less about them, including their benefits, a new study has found.

The current strategy to end the Covid-19 pandemic is to achieve herd immunity via mass vaccination. However, while this strategy relies on people’s willingness to take vaccines, little is know about how people perceive the risks and benefits of the Covid vaccine.

Researchers from the ESRI’s Behavioural Research Unit set out to investigate this further, by conducting a knowledge test and a survey of attitudes on a nationally representative sample of the Irish population.

Participants completed a series of tasks to find out what they knew about Covid vaccines, what they think about them, what they see as the greatest risks and benefits, and whether they plan to take one.

The study found that the minority of participants who said they would not take a vaccine, or were unsure about taking one, scored significantly poorer on the knowledge test compared to those who planned to take the vaccine.

Those planning to take it scored an average of 67% compared with 50% who were unsure about taking it, and 37% who said they would not take it.

The study also found that while most people were able to list at least one risk associated with getting vaccinated, many hesitant people failed to see any benefits. Some 91% of those who planned to get vaccinated were able to list some benefits, compared to 50% of those who were unsure about taking it, and just 5% of those who planned to refuse it.

The researchers also found that the less people followed news coverage about Covid-19, the less likely they were to want to take the vaccine.

“These results suggest that some people who are unsure about taking the Covid-19 vaccine may not know enough about it. The results suggest that providing factual information about how the vaccine was developed and tested, and the real-world effectiveness of the vaccines at preventing illness, may bridge this gap in knowledge,” commented the study’s lead researcher, Dr Deirdre Robertson.

According to Prof Pete Lunn, head of the ESRI’s Behavioural Research Unit, since this data was collected, the number of people wanting to take the vaccine “has risen steadily, perhaps reflecting improved knowledge and recognition of the benefits that the vaccine brings”.

“But the study shows that a minority of the population do not follow the news about Covid-19 and may take longer to realise how effective and safe the vaccines are,” he said.

The researchers concluded that knowing more about the vaccine, and accurately perceiving its benefits, is linked with a greater likelihood of accepting the vaccine, even while accepting that there may be risks.

“Communicating scientific information accurately, succinctly and in an accessible manner may play a critical role in ensuring that there is sufficient uptake of the Covid-19 vaccine to end this pandemic,” they added.

The study can be viewed here.