Covid poll: A pulse check of Australia as we exit the pandemic

More than 50,000 people have weighed in on Australia’s Covid response and vaccine rollout — and there’s one striking result.

Many of us have attempted to erase it from our memories but it was only 12 months ago most of Australia was still in lockdown.

Being told when you could leave the house, who was welcome inside, where you could go for dinner and even to duck if the ball came towards you at the footy were all things that were happening just last year.

This is not to make light of a pandemic that in Australia claimed more than 15,000 lives — and countless more jobs and businesses.

But for those of us fortunate enough to escape relatively unscathed 2020 and 2021 will forever be remembered as a period we look back on and wonder – can you believe that actually happened?

Today Covid has become an afterthought for many. We no longer have to isolate after a positive test, masks are rarely seen – even on flights. And the tense — and at times explosive — conversations between friends and family members over issues like vaccines are largely behind us.

But we want to know how you feel as Australia emerges from the pandemic. Take our poll and see how the rest of the country views what we’ve been through and where we sit today.

What you said

After a day of voting, each question has received more than 42,000 responses, ranging up to more than 50,000.

The results are striking.

More than half of respondents either said they regret getting vaccinated, or were unvaccinated and happy with their decision.

Only 35 per cent out of more than 45,000 people said they were vaccinated and would make the same decision again.

Not a single person said they were unvaccinated and regret the decision.

One fifth of respondents said they had received two doses of a vaccine, 26 per cent had three and 16 per cent had four shots, while 37 per cent said they had not taken any vaccine.

According to Health Department data, more than 20 million Australians have received at least one dose of a Covid vaccine, or more than 95 per cent of the over-16 population.

An overwhelming majority of respondents said they were no longer concerned about Covid and no longer wore masks in public settings.

Half of respondents said they caught Covid, with 6 per cent of those catching it more than once, while 40 per cent said they never did.

Meanwhile, more than two thirds of respondents said Australia‘s leaders had been too heavy-handed in the pandemic response, 25 per cent said they did they best they could, and 8 per cent said as well as any other country.

Thank you for taking part.