Majority of people in Spain believe Covid jabs should be mandatory

Most unvaccinated people in Spain say they simply do not trust the jabs

As the sixth wave of the coronavirus pandemic beats a steady retreat in Spain, a recent survey has revealed that 66% of people now believe that the Covid vaccine should be made mandatory, despite the fact that as of Wednesday January 26, 90.7% of people over the age of 18 have already been double jabbed. In addition, almost 15 million have been administered a booster.

Spain has thus far avoided enforcing mandatory vaccination for its citizens, unlike nations such as Greece and Austria, where residents can receive hefty fines for not getting vaccinated.

On the other hand, a minority in Spain continues to be resistant to the jabs, and the latest data from the Centre for Sociological Research (CIS) show that, while 84.5% of those who have received at least one dose say they are willing to get the booster, there are still 9% who claim they will refuse the third jab, and 4% remain undecided.

Those who decide not to opt for inoculation cite fear, scepticism about their protection and even bewilderment at the contradiction of some messages released by the health authorities as the main causes for refusal. However, head of the Vaccines working group of the Spanish Society of General and Family Physicians (SEMG) has urged anyone who is unsure to “trust science, which has shown us that we need it”.

Many people who are wary of the vaccines are choosing to adopt ‘a wait and see strategy’ given the fact that the Spanish government has moved the goal posts on so many occasions. Until recently, it was decided that the booster was to be administered to all adults four weeks after they had overcome Covid; on Tuesday January 25, this was once again changed, to five months. As a result, confusion and distrust abound.

According to the CIS survey, of those who have never been vaccinated, 27.3% do not trust the jabs, 11% don’t believe they are effective and 10% are worried about health risks and side effects.

Image: Archive

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