Deloitte calls vaccine a ‘game changer’ as 77% of Aussies welcome jab

January 19 2021
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As many as three-quarters of Aussies are willing to be vaccinated once a new coronavirus vaccine becomes publicly available, new research has revealed, as Deloitte Access Economics calls the vaccine a “game changer” for the Australian economy.

According to a new survey by Roy Morgan, while the sentiment is higher among men (81 per cent) than women (73 per cent), overall, 77 per cent of Australians would get a vaccine once it becomes publicly available.

“The COVID-19 vaccine is set to be rolled out across Australia starting from next month, and the good news is a clear majority of 77 per cent of Australians say they will be vaccinated when the vaccine becomes publicly available – and this support is strong across all sections of the community, including both genders, people of all ages, supporters of different political parties and in every state and territory,” said Michele Levine, CEO of Roy Morgan.

However, sentiment has slightly dipped since March and April 2020, when the COVID-19 crisis was at its peak in Australia, with 87 per cent of Australians admitting they would be up for a vaccine at the time.

Roy Morgan’s survey coincides with Deloitte’s most recent outlook, which characterises the “excellent news” on vaccines as a “game changer”, noting that it will ease the pressure on the economy.

But Aussies are not only fond of the vaccine, with 68 per cent expressing their support for Australia’s restrictive border policies despite the severe blow they have dealt to the travel and tourism industry.

“When it comes to the opening of state borders, the views of Australians tend to align with their respective state governments. NSW has had the most open border policy throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and only closed its borders once – when daily local cases of COVID-19 ballooned through 100 in early July. In NSW, a slim majority of 55 per cent of respondents are against all state borders being completely open today – clearly the lowest against opening the borders of any state,” Ms Levine added.

On the other end of the spectrum, people in the two states with the most restrictive border policies are most in favour of keeping state borders closed, with 85 per cent of Western Australians and 79 per cent of Tasmanians admitting they don’t want state borders completely open today.

“These results indicate voters tend to align their views with the policies of their respective state governments when these policies are demonstrated to be an effective response to the threat posed by COVID-19.”

Will vaccination be compulsory?

With vaccination likely to be compulsory for frontline healthcare and aged care workers and for travellers looking to skip hotel quarantine, debate is growing about what rules should apply for those who refuse to participate.

On Monday, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian revealed that despite the fact vaccination would be voluntary, NSW could make it compulsory for travel or accessing government buildings. It is also considering giving businesses permission to make vaccination a condition of entry.

With vaccination scheduled to begin mid-February, states and territories are expected to agree to a uniform set of standards shortly.

About the author

Maja Garaca Djurdjevic

Maja Garaca Djurdjevic is the editor of nestegg and Smart Property Investment. Email Maja at [email protected]

About the author

Maja Garaca Djurdjevic

Maja Garaca Djurdjevic is the editor of nestegg and Smart Property Investment. Email Maja at [email protected]

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