40% Pakistanis say they will not get COVID-19 vaccine if it becomes available: survey

While this might not be the most surprising thing in the world, an overwhelming number of Pakistani citizens refuse to believe in the “miracle of science”. In fact, a recent survey shows that at least 40 percent of people in Pakistan don’t want to get COVID-19 vaccination if it becomes available.

Conducted by global market research firm Ispos, the survey was held between December 2 and December 6 and asked the respondents a number of COVID-19 vaccine-related questions. While it revealed that the acceptance rate for vaccination had decreased from 62 percent in November to 60 percent in December, at least it’s still higher than the very concerning 37 percent back in August!

The following are some of the most significant insights gleaned from the survey:

• 60 percent of the respondents said that they would prefer to be vaccinated
• 22 percent of the respondents were against vaccination in general
• 34 percent of respondents are worried about the potential side-effects of vaccines
• 15 percent of respondents believe a vaccine would not be effective
• 23 percent of respondents simply don’t want to get vaccinated because they believe that they are not at risk of contracting the viral disease
• 50 percent of respondents are unaware of the ongoing vaccine trials
• 21 percent of respondents blame the federal government for the spread of the coronavirus (down from 35 percent back in October)
• 40 percent of respondents blame themselves and their failure to follow SOPs for the spread of the coronavirus (up from 34 percent in October)

The results are fascinating, to say the least. For one, it has become clear that quite a bit of work needs to be done by the government and concerned agencies in terms of spreading awareness about the benefits of vaccination and its importance in safeguarding ourselves from the deadly disease.

For another, it is important to continue having discourse about COVID-19-related developments all across the world, so that the public stays informed and is able to make better decisions.

Finally, it is encouraging to see that a growing number of people are taking personal responsibility for the spread of the coronavirus. While the rampaging pandemic is certainly not in our control, our own actions are. The least we can do is play our part and do whatever we can to keep ourselves and people around us safe by diligently following SOPs.