This is despite three quarters of Farage's voters having taken the vaccine, and two thirds saying they trust vaccines in general
Acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine went much more smoothly in the UK than in other countries like America, where the vaccine – and indeed the pandemic more generally – became a much more partisan issue.
More than four years after the beginning of the vaccine rollout, 89% of Britons recall getting at least one dose of the vaccine, with only 7% saying they did not.
Trust in the COVID-19 vaccine is relatively high, with 71% saying they trust it “a great deal” or “a fair amount”, compared to 24% who say they don’t trust it “much” or “at all”.
Trust in vaccines in general is much higher still, with 84% of Britons saying they trust them, compared to 13% expressing little to no trust.
Reform UK voters’ attitudes towards the COVID-19 vaccine are distinct compared to other voters. Fully half of those who voted for Nigel Farage’s party in 2024 (50%) say they have little to no trust in the coronavirus vaccine – this despite the fact that 68% say they have trust in vaccines in general, and indeed that 77% of Reform voters had at least one dose of the COVID vaccine.
Trust in the COVID vaccine is much higher among other voting groups (79-82%), as is trust in vaccines more generally (89-90%). Around nine in ten Labour, Lib Dem and Tory voters say they received at least one dose of the vaccine (89-94%).
One of the major concerns at the time of the vaccine rollout was the difficulty in coaxing young people to get their shots. Our figures show that young people are indeed less likely to have received the COVID vaccine, although 80% say they got at least one dose. This does, however, fall to only 32% who got three doses or more (i.e. took a booster), compared to 67% of 50-64 year olds and 87% of the over 65s.
Despite being less likely to get the COVID vaccine, 18-24 year olds are substantially more trusting of vaccines. Fully 60% say they have “a great deal” of trust in vaccines in general, compared to 40-45% of older age groups. Similarly, 50% have a great deal of trust in the COVID vaccine, higher than the 31-36% of older generations who say the same.
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Photo: Getty
