- A study has revealed that six in 10 people were concerned that Covid-19 vaccines wouldn't reach SA.
- In addition, the majority believed vaccines would allow for a return to normalcy.
- Three out of five surveyed plan to take the vaccine when it becomes available to them.
Six out of ten respondents in an Ask Afrika survey done in July 2020 were concerned that Covid-19 vaccines wouldn't reach South Africa.
"In July 2020, six in 10 respondents were concerned that vaccines would not reach the country that year, and compared to this time in 2020, awareness of national vaccine efforts have increased as the pandemic continued," Ask Afrika, an independent market research company, found.
Only 54% of respondents in the study were aware of the South African Ox1Cov-19 Vaccine VIDA-Trial, and 62% of respondents were concerned that vaccines would not reach the country that year.
"While more than 60% of respondents are very concerned about the likelihood of the vaccines reaching South Africa this year (2020), the majority believe that vaccines will allow for a return to normalcy and are the only means of restarting the economy," the research further stated.
The report, titled Covid-19 Tracker - A year in review, was compiled to help the company understand the socio-economic impact that the coronavirus lockdown and gradual reopening of the economy have had on South Africans.
"Despite high levels of willingness to receive the vaccines, there is an almost equally high level of concern around getting vaccinated, which has also risen over the month," the report read.
However, the study also revealed that the safety and efficacy of vaccines remain major concerns.
"The most common misconceptions are that the vaccine interacts with your DNA, causes side effects and contains the actual virus," the findings read.
According to the study, in order to promote vaccination, it is vital to foster trust by focusing on the issues most important to those in doubt – safety, efficacy and assuring thorough development of the vaccines.
"Vaccinations should be conducted at official health sites, including doctors' offices, pharmacies and hospitals. This lends an element of credibility that reassures safety concerns and improves the likelihood of vaccine acceptance," the study stated.