42 percent of unvaccinated Ukrainians are ready to get vaccinated against COVID-19, UNICEF study says

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Ukraine conducted a national survey which showed that 42 per cent of unvaccinated Ukrainians are ready to get vaccinated under certain conditions.. Many factors can  influence a person's decision to be vaccinated against COVID-19: fear of the disease, worrying about loved ones, the advice of doctors, and myths about vaccination.

What motivates those who want to get vaccinated the most is that vaccination can prevent coronavirus disease or its complications and protect other people from getting infected. This is true because vaccinated people are five times less likely to become infected and are more than ten times less likely to be hospitalised with COVID-19 than unvaccinated people.

It was also the biggest motivator for those who had already received their vaccine. Thus, 65 percent were vaccinated to avoid getting sick or having  complications from COVID-19. Only 14 percent said they did so on the recommendation of an employer or educational institution. In Ukraine, 10,682,752 people already received at least the first shot of the COVID-19 vaccine, and 7,596,587 got two doses and now are fully protected, as of November 3, 2021.

Overall, 60 percent of all Ukrainians have a positive attitude towards COVID-19 vaccination, and 62 per cent agree that COVID-19 immunisation is necessary.

Why are some people still hesitant? Among the main reasons are the underestimation of the risks of COVID-19, the myths about vaccination, and the reluctance to be re-vaccinated, if necessary.

Most unvaccinated people not wishing to get vaccinated do not trust vaccines, believe that vaccination carries more risks than COVID-19 itself, and do not want to experience vaccine side effects. Nearly a quarter of responders believe they have medical reasons not  to take the COVID-19 vaccination, when in fact less than one percent of people may have absolute contraindications. Those who do not want to get vaccinated do not consider the pandemic a severe threat or COVID-19 a disease that people need to be vaccinated against at all.

The role of the family doctor is essential in the vaccination process. 87 per cent of vaccinated Ukrainians say they followed their doctor's advice on vaccination. 77 percent of the unvaccinated would listen to a doctor's advice to get vaccinated.

More than half of those not willing to get vaccinated would not trust the doctor's advice, and 48 percent did not discuss vaccination with a doctor. Also, 6 percent of responders say that their doctor did not recommend vaccination.

The research agency Info Sapiens conducted a study with the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the World Bank in September-October 2021 (before the introduction of the "Red Zones"). The researcher surveyed respondents over the telephone. 2,006 people over the age of 18 were interviewed in all regions of Ukraine, except for the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions not controlled by the government. The sample represents the adult population of Ukraine. It corresponds to the data of the State Statistics Service as of 1.01.2020 by sex, age, size of the settlement, and macroregion.