In a new online survey by Ipsos MORI, more than half of Britons (54%) say the country should pass some of its excess doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to other countries once it has enough for its own immediate need. Three in ten (30%) want the UK to keep all extra doses in case they are needed in the future.
Those who voted to remain in the EU in 2016 are significantly more likely to want to share any excess vaccines, two-thirds (66%) say the UK should pass on some of its extra doses compared to only half (50%) of those who voted to leave the EU.
Desire to give vaccines to other countries is also higher among 55-75-year olds (61%), while 49% of 35-54s and 53% of 18-34s want to share the excess vaccines.
Almost 2 in 3 (63%) would support the UK giving their excess vaccine doses to poorer countries for free while making richer countries pay for them.
Over half (55%) agree with just selling excess doses to countries who can pay for them, while 43% support just giving them to other countries for free. Only 13% would support the UK government banning UK companies from making vaccines they have produced to sell to other countries.
Britons are most likely to want to wait until everyone in the UK has been fully vaccinated before any doses are given away (68%). Around half (51%) would support giving vaccines to other countries once over-50s, frontline health and social workers and those clinically vulnerable have been vaccinated.
Forty-seven per cent would be happy to start giving them away once over-65s and frontline health and social care workers had received the jab and those at risk because of clinical conditions. Half (53%) of those aged 18-34 support sharing the vaccine with other countries at this stage, compared to only 43% of 35-54s and 46% of 55-75s.
Leave a Comment