Quarter of Scots reluctant to have jab

A QUARTER of Scots are unwilling to be vaccinated against Covid-19, new research suggests.

Suspicion about the jab is higher among ethnic minorities and the lowest-paid, according to a Strathclyde University report.

The poll – on behalf of the Chief Medical Officer – found that, overall, between 74 and 77 per cent of adults had no qualms about having the vaccine, but there was ‘a sizeable minority of the public who are hesitant’.

The research team calls on health chiefs to target public health messages at those least likely to be inoculated. The study, published last week in the journal Vaccines, collated the views of 3,436 Scots during the first wave of the pandemic last spring and in August when case numbers were low.

There was little difference in people’s views whether the country was in or out of lockdown. Over time, the proportion of those willing to take a jab rose only 3.5 per cent, from 74 per cent to 77.5 per cent.

The study found that white people are three times more likely to be vaccinated that those from BAME groups. Meanwhile, those with the highest incomes were twice as likely as those paid the least.

It claims the results raise ‘questions about why those most likely to suffer the negative consequences of Covid-19 would be the least likely to intend to vaccinate’.

The authors, led by psychologist Dr Lynn Williams, added: ‘[There is a] need for government and public health bodies to think carefully about how to approach their publics with further demands for behavioural change. Future interventions need to be targeted at a range of sub-populations and diverse communities.’

Last night, a Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘We work with partner organisations to identify specific challenges in reaching seldom-heard communities with our marketing campaign messaging, including NHS, Public Health Scotland and third-sector contacts.

‘Insights gathered from these conversations shape our marketing materials and inform how and where we communicate.

‘This collaboration supports us to reach communities more effectively.’