According to the Median agency survey, 43 percent of Czechs would not get vaccinated against the coronavirus even if the vaccine existed.
Research teams around the world are working to develop a vaccine for COVID-19 as soon as possible. According to the survey, 49 percent of people in the Czech Republic would get vaccinated when the vaccination is ready. On the contrary, 43 percent would reject the option.
Men and people from Prague and the Central Bohemian Region are the most likely to support receiving a vaccination.
“I don’t think the health system as a whole will allow the use of something untested. In recent years, our society developed some resistance to vaccination. Maybe there is also a certain ambiguity in the development, that the vaccine is not clear, because it has not been tested yet. Such a step into the unknown can simply cause some concern in people,” said Median agency director Přemysl Čech.
The survey also showed that half of Czechs plan to keep wearing face masks, even though they are no longer mandatory outside since Monday, reported irozhlas.cz.
“The crisis is over. The number of hospitalized patients is gradually decreasing every day, and we need to focus on what lies ahead,“ said Health Minister Adam Vojtěch a week ago.
According to a Median survey, 45 percent of respondents agree with his statement. On the contrary, 51 percent of people believe that the coronavirus crisis is not over yet. Women and the elderly are often more afraid of the disease’s return.
The survey also showed that 52 percent of people would be willing to wear a face mask in the future and voluntarily. More than three-quarters of respondents would not mind wearing a face mask when visiting homes for the elderly. Another two-thirds wouldn’t mind wearing one at the doctor’s office and more than half support them on public transport.
According to Čech, the important result is that nearly half of people would use a face mask in enclosed spaces, for example at work.
“I think it’s quite important that 42 percent of people are willing to wear face masks indoors. People will return to offices from a home office. This can be an important aspect that people will continue to protect each other,” added Čech.
There were 1,007 Czech participants older than 18 years surveyed between May 20 and May 21.
Czechs are not the only ones skeptical about a coronavirus vaccination. In the United States, only 55 percent of people said they would get vaccinated for coronavirus if a vaccine existed, according to a YouGov survey. Another 26 percent said they were unsure about a vaccine while one in five would refuse to get one.
