Almost half (45%) of UK adults are confident that the Government will hit its mid-February target to have offered vaccination slots to all of those in the top four priority groups, according to new data from Savanta ComRes.
Confidence in the target, which included offering the vaccine to all over 80s, has risen 7pts in the last week, while those who are not confident (22%) in the Government to hit its target has dropped by 5pts in the same period.
The poll also shows that despite the UK’s Chief Medical Officer’s assertions that it is more important to vaccinate more people with one dose of the vaccine, half (50%) of Brits are concerned about the decision to delay the second dose of the vaccine from 21 days to 12 weeks. Concern is significantly higher among women than men (52% vs 47%).
Elsewhere in the poll, two thirds (64%) remain keen to receive the vaccine, with just 14% saying they are reluctant, although these figures remain virtually unchanged over the last fortnight. Younger adults aged 18-34 still seem to be more reluctant to receive the vaccine than their older peers (22% vs 9% 55+).
And despite the Government increasing fines for those breaking lockdown rules by hosting house parties last week, half (49%) still say that the penalties for those breaking Coronavirus rules are too soft, with just one in three (30%) saying they’re about right, and just 16% saying that the rules are well enforced, compared to 44% who say that they’re well enforced.
More than half (53%) of Brits hold the public most responsible for the rise in cases in 2021, while just a third (33%) blame the Government.
Chris Hopkins, Political Research Director at Savanta ComRes said, “The vaccine rollout continues to be a good news story for the Government, with the public increasingly confident that they’ll hit their target of offering vaccination slots to everyone in the top four priority groups by mid-Feb.
“The government also seem to be doing an effective job of tempering expectations of when restrictions could be eased, and while those who are blaming the public at large far outweigh those who are blaming the government for the current third wave, those in Number 10 will be satisfied that public opinion remains firmly on their side.”
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