COVID vaccine Australia: Almost 10 per cent of Aussie not taking jab, government findings show

Shocking news findings from the government have posed a hurdle to Australia’s coronavirus vaccination hopes, with the rollout to begin shortly.

Surprising findings from the government have posed a hurdle to Australia’s vaccination hopes — with 27 per cent of Australians saying they are unsure as to whether they will take it, and 9 per cent saying they will flat-out refuse it.

The survey was commissioned by the Federal Department of Health and asked just over 4000 Australians about their attitudes towards the vaccine.

The government is keen to point out that the overriding finding from the survey is that 71 per cent of Australians would choose to take the vaccine some time by October.

The news comes as the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine has been approved in Australia. Picture: AFP

Other key figures from the research show 64 per cent of eligible Australians (people over the age of 16) definitely would get a vaccine — while 27 per cent of eligible Australians are unsure whether they will get a vaccine and 9 per cent of eligible Australians definitely will not get a vaccine.

Vaccinating against COVID-19 is the easiest way for Australians to get their normal lives back, but millions are hesitant to get the jab.

News.com.au’s Our Best Shot campaign answers your questions about the COVID-19 vaccine roll out.

We’ll debunk myths about vaccines, answer your concerns about the jab and tell you when you can get the COVID-19 vaccine.

Some 48 per cent of Australians would choose to get a vaccine as soon as it is available

Even if Australia hits 71 per cent of the population outlined in the survey, it would short of the estimated herd immunity threshold set out by leading US doctor Anthony Fauci. He says 75 per cent of the population need to be immune to the virus for that to happen.

According to the new Australian government-commissioned research, the top three concerns for those unsure about taking the vaccine are that its long term side effects are still unknown, the jabs have been developed too quickly and that they may have an allergic reaction.

On the flip side, those keen to take the vaccine say their top motivations are protecting themselves from COVID, keeping others safe from COVID and protecting the elderly and most vulnerable.

Of all people in the survey:

• 86 per cent agree that the COVID vaccines will help protect vulnerable Australians

• 79 per cent agree that COVID vaccines across the Australian population will reduce the risk of our health system being overwhelmed

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The findings come as Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration today gave a second coronavirus vaccine the green light.

The medical regulator announced today it had granted provisional approval to AstraZeneca Pty Ltd for its COVID-19 vaccine, making it the second COVID-19 vaccine to receive regulatory approval in Australia after approving the Pfizer vaccine in January.

It means the jab is provisionally approved and included in the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods for the immunisation of individuals 18 years and over, with the vaccination of those aged over 65 should be decided on a case-by-case basis.

The government has played down fears over its effectiveness in people aged over 65.

European regulators had butted heads over whether to approve the vaccine to people aged above 65 amid concerns over its effectiveness in that age group.

But the TGA quelled those fears, announcing approval on Tuesday and saying there are “no safety concerns in this age group” arising from clinical trials.

The TGA’s John Skerritt said the jab’s rollout in the UK, where there was no upper age limit, showed a strong immune response among the elderly.

“Our analysis of the data gives us no reason to suspect that the vaccine would not be fully efficacious in older groups,” he said.

Various Europeans countries have put an upper limit of 65 for the AstraZeneca vaccine, while Italy restricted its use to people under 55.

– With NCA Newswire