Less Than 2 In 5 Kiwis Would Get Vaccinated Against Covid-19 As Soon As Possible

Following the recent re-emergence of COVID-19 in the Auckland community and as New Zealand prepares to commence rollout of a vaccine, there’s a segment of the Kiwi population vehemently opposed to being vaccinated. Opinion Compare, a leading market research agency and part of NZ Compare, asked a representative sample of n=500 Kiwi adults 18+ " Once a vaccine for Covid-19 becomes available in New Zealand, how long would you wait before taking it?"

I’d get vaccinated as soon as possible: 38%

I’d get vaccinated but wouldn’t do it immediately: 46%

I’d never get vaccinated: 16%

While there’s demographic differences in stated vaccination adoption - those more likely to put their hands up to be vaccinated are male, 55+ and living in the South Island - it’s their views on the past 12 months and 2021 outlook that sees the most differences.

The 16% of the population who are unwilling to get vaccinated saw 2020 as a bad year for New Zealand politics in general (43% of anti-vaxxers compared with 25% of the population). On the flip side, 69% of those willing to be vaccinated immediately see NZ as a country as having a better year in 2021 compared to 33% of those opposed. And while anti-vaxxers are less likely to express a desire to travel internationally in the next 2 years, there’s still a staggering 72% who want to travel despite their opposition to taking the vaccine.

Gavin Male, CEO of Opinion Compare, said "there’s some similarities in what we know the Government has been tracking within the public but the fact that the highest segment in the population are willing, but wanting to wait, suggests the Arden Government has more convincing to do. This question was asked to our panel just prior to the recent Auckland outbreak and lockdown, so it would be interesting to see whether sentiment has changed as a result. One of the things we found most fascinating about this poll was the general apathy of the anti-vax segment to events in the last 12 months, as well as their lack of optimism in the future. We’re about to enter the first week of the vaccination roll out in NZ but there’s some clear communication messaging that needs to be done for distinctly different segments of the New Zealand population"