Poll: Majority of Jamaicans opposed to vax mandate
Published:Sunday | February 13, 2022 | 12:14 AMErica Virtue - Senior Gleaner Writer
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The majority of Jamaicans are opposed to the idea of mandatory COVID-19 vaccination for children or the wider populace, a Bill Johnson-Mello TV poll has found. The survey, which was conducted among 1,176 people in 84 communities between January 14...
The majority of Jamaicans are opposed to the idea of mandatory COVID-19 vaccination for children or the wider populace, a Bill Johnson-Mello TV poll has found.
The survey, which was conducted among 1,176 people in 84 communities between January 14 and 16, saw 67 per cent of Jamaicans indicating that they would reject any call or action towards mandatory vaccination for school-age children, while 60 per cent stood opposed to imposing such a mandate on the general population.
“We asked, ‘Do you think it should be mandatory for all Jamaicans 18 years and over to be vaccinated against COVID unless they have a valid medical reason?’ The response was 32 per cent said yes, 60 per cent said no. So it’s almost 2-to-1 people are against mandatory vaccination,” Johnson told The Sunday Gleaner yesterday.
“We asked the same question for schoolchildren and it is even stronger. Twenty-four per cent said yes and 67 per cent said no. This is almost 2-in-3 opposition,” the pollster said of the findings, which have a plus or minus three per cent margin of error.
“When it came to schoolchildren, every age group – and even Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) supporters – was against mandatory vaccination for schoolchildren. In terms of people 18 years [or older] for mandatory vaccination, every group is against this, except JLP voters,” Johnson explained, noting that respondents were asked which party they had voted for in the last general election.
Contacted yesterday, Health and Wellness Minister Dr Christopher Tufton said that the findings were not surprising as they fall in line with results from the Government’s own internal surveys.
“The results are not surprising from my perspective and it’s reflective of the take-up rate in the population. It confirms that vaccine hesitancy is real and that individuals, for whatever reasons, though they have access, are unwilling to take it,” the minister explained to The Sunday Gleaner.
“The approach to messaging has not remained constant. It started in a particular way, when there was a rush to take up what was available at the time by people who were already convinced. But the messaging shifted over time, where a number of stakeholders were carrying it. We went to the churches, normal persons, key influencers, the chief medical officer (CMO), and the politicians.”
Political leaders still have some influence, even if it’s dwindling, and they have been used as part of the vaccination push, as there is a strong political culture in the country.
Both Tufton and Dr Morais Guy, a medical doctor and the opposition spokesman on health, have appeared together in COVID-19 vaccination campaigns to show a unified approach.
CHANGE MESSAGE REGULARLY
Tufton does not believe that naming a vaccination czar would increase the uptick.
Messaging has been tweaked throughout the campaign, and the polls will be studied, he said.
Guy said that he, too, was not surprised at the findings, adding that the messages and messengers need to be changed regularly.
“We need school ambassadors. I saw the minister recently used a Manning’s School student to encourage vaccination. We need to hear from more persons who have recovered, parents who have had their children vaccinated, the scientists, the medical people,” Guy said.
Among the difficulties in the process, the opposition spokesman said, was the non-engagement of private healthcare providers, a situation which has now improved. Greater diversification was required, he stressed, noting the distrust for the State.
Guy believes that political representatives should encourage but not be front and centre in the vaccination campaign as the population would prefer to hear from non-aligned professional individuals.
“I trust the science and it suggests that those who are vaccinated fare much better if they contract COVID. The message must focus on the science and the benefits to those vaccinated, even if they contract the virus,” he said.
Yesterday, the Ministry of Health’s vaccination tracker showed that some 636,803 Jamaicans have been fully vaccinated.
Views on mandatory vaccination for children by age group
Age Group Percentage opposing Percentage supporting
18-24 67 % 23%
25-34 77% 15%
35-44 67% 25%
45-54 61% 27%
55-64 66% 28%
Over 65 51% 40%
Views on mandatory vaccination for population by age group
Age Group Percentage opposing Percentage supporting
18-24 71% 32%
25-34 62% 22%
35-44 55% 28%
45-54 54% 37%
55-64 44% 36%
Over 65 53% 56%