Almost three-quarters of Australians say they will get vaccinated: ABS

The number of Aussies who say they’ll get vaccinated has been revealed, as has the biggest reasons for avoiding the jab.

Australians’ confidence in the Covid-19 vaccine is growing as more report their willingness to get vaccinated, new data suggests.

But the survey conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) in June showed 11 per cent of Australians would still refuse to get immunised.

Just under three-quarters (73 per cent) of respondents said they would get the vaccine once it became available and was recommended to them, a 5 per cent rise in just a month.

That figure was a return to December and February levels before plummeting to 68 per cent in April when authorities issued damaging advice over the AstraZeneca vaccine.

The federal government’s vaccine rollout has been blighted by supply issues and further hits to AstraZeneca, but 90 per cent of those who had received a first dose reported it was very or moderately easy to get.

The number of Australians reporting their willingness to get vaccinated has returned to the same level as February before damaging advice on the AstraZeneca vaccine. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the figures showed a growing confidence in Australia’s vaccine rollout, describing the jab as the “single best protection” against the health and economic impact of the virus.

“Our vaccination program is ramping up significantly and that’s because Australians know the best way to protect yourself, your family, and your community is to get the jab,” he said.

“Our vaccines are not only effective, most importantly they’re also safe. By getting vaccinated as soon as you can, you are doing your bit to get Australia through this pandemic.”

Men were more likely to report willingness to receive the vaccine (78 per cent compared with 69 per cent), while there was stronger support in older age groups more vulnerable to the virus.

Of the 11 per cent who said they would not receive the jab, a slight drop from May, just more than half cited potential side effects, and 15 per cent questioned its effectiveness.

Concerns over potential side effects dropped 12 per cent from May’s figures (from 64 to 52 per cent), though concerns over the jab’s efficacy remained relatively steady (15 to 12 per cent).

The number of people who cited a return to travel (24 per cent) as motivation for getting vaccinated was dwarfed by the 79 per cent who wanted to avoid serious Covid-19 symptoms, though respondents were able to cite multiple reasons.

Nearly half (48 per cent) who had not received a vaccine said they were currently eligible, with 15 per cent wanting a different vaccine to what was currently available to them and 11 per cent claiming waiting times were too long.

Most (55 per cent) preferred to receive their vaccine from a GP.