A new study is seeking feedback from the community about their attitudes towards the ongoing COVID-19 vaccination efforts.
According to recent figures from the Department of Health, nearly 30,000 Australians have been vaccinated against COVID-19, since the rollout started back on 27 January 2021. While these are encouraging figures, the available vaccines are not compulsory and not everyone is fully on board with getting the jab.
According to an online survey from May 2020, published in the journal PLoS ONE, about 65% of Australians were willing to be vaccinated – a figure that did not improve over time.
“In Australia, the number of people who are willing to be vaccinated for COVID-19 appears to be dropping over time. When we repeated our survey with a subset of participants in November 2020, the number of participants willing to be vaccinated was just 56 per cent, down from 65 per cent in May,” said survey lead researcher Dr Katie Attwell, from UWA’s School of Social Sciences, in a press release.
With the goal of gaining a better understanding of community attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccines, a research team from The University of Western Australia and the Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases at Telethon Kids Institute has launched a new study.
The project, called CORONAVAX, is seeking feedback from a wide range of community members, including adults from all ages living in metropolitan Perth, aged care workers, healthcare workers, childcare and education workers, patents and guardians, pharmacists and pregnant women.
All participants will receive a $20 supermarket gift voucher.
How it works
The CORONAVAX project consists of a five-minute pre-screening survey, and, for those that qualify, a one-on-one interview lasting an hour, which will be recorded. Those participating in the study can expect questions like why they want a vaccine (or why not), what are their thoughts on getting a COVID vaccine compared to other vaccines and questions about any concerns they may have about a vaccine or vaccination policies.
“We are excited to engage with the WA community on this important issue and to understand different views in a way that will reach the ears of government,” Dr Attwell said in a press release.
The results of this study have the potential to inform government vaccination efforts about the best way forward. “For any vaccine rollout to be successful, it is vital that the public’s views are taken into account and that information given to the public is communicated effectively,” said Dr Samantha Carlson from the Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases, based at Telethon Kids Institute, in the same press release.
“The insight we gather through this work will help shape the strategy for reaching out to different groups in the community to ensure they get the information they need about COVID-19 vaccination,” she added.
To participate in the CORONAVAX study visit https://redcap.link/coronavaxWA or if you have any questions, flick an email to coronavax@uwa.edu.au or visit the CORONAVAX website.