What do Europeans think about vaccination? Special Eurobarometer 488
We finished reading what European politicians (and the media in general) haven't read, it does Special Eurobarometer 488 - Report "Europeans' attitudes towards vaccination".
In Italy the news had rebounded with the title of "Vaccini, 46% of Italians fear serious side effects" or "Vaccini, almost one Italian out of two fears serious side effects". Defining the partial data is truly euphemistic.
We understand that the hard work of the Vice President of the European Commission Jyrki Katainen did not allow him to read all 89 pages of the report, but before making his statements to the media, which we know have enormous comprehension problems, he should have at least read the conclusions or introduction.
The whole report is a statistical analysis derived from a series of questions proposed to a sample of 27.524 respondents scattered in the 28 countries of the European Union according to specific standards and with direct interviews, i.e. not online. Obviously we are slightly biased, therefore while trying to roughly summarize the important points of the entire report, given the large amount of data, we advise you to read it and get your own idea.
The Corvelva summary
The summary we can make is worrying because it cannot be separated from the way the news appeared in the Italian media. The figure that 46% of Italians fear adverse reactions is an artifact, extracted at random from a series of questions in which the single answer cannot be disconnected from the others. Even if it were real it should have launched an alert on the quality of pharmacovigilance being the DTP1 (first dose of hexavalent or tetravalent) coverage above 95% since 1990.
So the question is for what purpose? We know well, reading the report, that they do not fear social networks or websites like that of Corvelva since they have, on average, a very low influence as a source of information on vaccinations and Europeans, on average, always trust doctors and, given the enormous capital that the pharmaceutical industries allocate to doctors and universities, the trend will certainly not decrease, so why? Why create psychosis in those four uninformed politicians?
Knowledge of diseases in Europe is totally unrelated to their danger. The population fears diseases that have irrelevant rates of death and contagion and does not perceive more far-reaching problems.
Corvelva, has not been able to fully understand the design behind the proclamations of the last few days, every hypothesis leads to theories that defining conspiracy would be very easy, therefore we stop at the data: the European trusts vaccines, both for the quality and for safety and, perhaps among the most important for us, 13% think that there should be no vaccination programs since vaccines are a completely personal choice.
We leave to you all hypotheses not so much on the data, but the reason why they extrapolated a secondary, artifact and limited data and with this they opened the newspapers of half of Italy.
The Eurobarometer 488 summary
The report was created to help European Parliamentarians to activate initiatives aimed at bringing the European population to the 95% threshold, without the slightest use of scientific references on which diseases and for which coverages, or 95% all-inclusive, Eurobarometer has decided to understand the attitude of Europeans against vaccines and this is where this huge survey comes from.
The vaccine is intended as the best defense against serious diseases since the introduction of this report, therefore, according to the Italian media, the real problem had to be the "decline in public confidence in their effectiveness and safety ". The European Union does indeed have the lowest confidence in vaccine safety and efficacy worldwide and confidence levels vary by vaccine, but it is important to note that there is a correlation between the confidence of vaccines in the sector / professionals ( that is, doctors) and public trust in general. "
The report expresses a survey derived from questions, these are grouped into the following topics:
- Europeans' perception of vaccine-preventable diseases and perceived effectiveness
of vaccines. - Europeans' experiences with vaccinations, including whether they or a member of their family have recently been vaccinated, their reasons for being vaccinated or unvaccinated and whether they have a vaccination certificate.
- Levels of knowledge of Europeans about the effects of vaccines.
- Attitudes regarding the importance of vaccinations, whether or not to avoid vaccination leads.
to serious health problems, and who should be vaccinated. - European sources of information on vaccines and the extent to which they trust them.
Knowledge of diseases
Perception of diseases
The perception of diseases is definitely unrelated to actual deaths and / or contagions resulting from the disease itself.
- 56% say that the flu causes deaths in Europe.
- 53% say meningitis causes deaths in Europe.
- 40% say that hepatitis causes deaths in Europe.
- 37% say that measles causes deaths in Europe.
- 22% say tetanus causes deaths in Europe.
- 17% say that polio causes deaths in Europe.
- Less than a fifth think that none of these diseases cause deaths in Europe.
The percentages vary greatly from the nation of respondents. In Italy only 15% of respondents see influenza as a disease causing death, 87% in Greece.
Perception of the effectiveness of vaccinations
- 52% think that vaccines are definitely effective
- 33% say they are probably effective.
- 6% say they are probably not effective
- 3% say they are not effective at all
- 4% say it depends on the disease.
The percentages vary greatly from the nation of respondents. Latvia stands out for a particularly high percentage of respondents who think that these vaccines are probably not effective (18%) while in Malta only 1% think so. In Italy 9% of respondents say it depends on the disease.
Incidence of vaccinations
After receiving vaccinations
Vaccinations received in the past 5 years
- 66% say that they or a member of their family has been vaccinated.
- 45% say they have received a vaccination
- 27% say that their children have received a vaccination
- 20% say that someone else in their family has been vaccinated.
- 33% say that nobody in their family, including themselves, has been vaccinated
Mto be vaccinated
Of these, who have received vaccinations in the past 5 years:
- 63% say they did so on the recommendation of a doctor.
- 24% say they did so on the recommendation of the health authorities
- 17% say they did it to travel abroad.
- 13% say they did it because it was mandatory.
- 9% say they did it because they were encouraged by family and friends
- 2% say they did it for no particular reason
Reasons not to be vaccinated
About a third of unvaccinated Europeans do not see the need for vaccinations, and this varies widely from country to country. The reasons are varied, including:
- 34% say they don't see the need.
- 29% say they are still covered by previous vaccines.
- 22% say they have not received any vaccines from a doctor.
- 11% say vaccines are only needed for children.
- 20% say they haven't been vaccinated because they don't believe vaccines are safe
In Italy the percentage of those who think that vaccines are necessary only for children rises to 23%.
Vaccinal booklet
- All respondents were asked if they had a vaccination record
- 50% say they have a vaccination record
- 27% say they have it for their children
- 40% say they don't have a vaccination record
For those who answered "Yes, for yourself", there is a wide range of answers nationwide. Luxembourg has the highest rate, 86%.
Knowledge of vaccination
Knowing the effects of vaccines
- Most Europeans think that vaccines are rigorously tested, but they are less effective.
- 80% say vaccines are rigorously tested before being authorized
- 11% say vaccines are not rigorously tested before being authorized
- 9% don't know if vaccines are rigorously tested before being authorized
- 55% says that vaccines do not overload and weaken the immune system
- 31% say that vaccines overload and weaken the immune system
- 14% say they don't know if vaccines overload and weaken the immune system
- 49% say vaccines don't cause the disease they protect for
- 38% say vaccines cause the disease they protect for
- 13% say they don't know if vaccines cause the disease they protect for
- 41% say vaccines don't produce serious side effects
- 48% say vaccines produce serious side effects
- 11% say they don't know if vaccines produce serious side effects
There are significant differences at a national level in the proportions, therefore we want to dwell well on this chapter because it is the data from which the news appeared in Italy was extrapolated.
For Italians i vaccines are rigorously tested?
- True 71%
- False 18%
- They don't know 11%
For Italians vaccines do not weaken the immune system?
- True 54%
- False 32%
- They don't know 14%
For Italians i vaccines don't cause the diseases they protect against?
- True 53%
- False 34%
- They don't know 13%
Attitudes towards vaccination
Most Europeans believe vaccines are important to everyone, but there is a substantial variation between countries about extending the agreement
- 88% say vaccines are important for protecting not only yourself but others too
- 56% fully agree with this claim
- 36% tend to agree
- 9% say vaccines are not important for protecting not only yourself but others too
- 2% say that vaccines are absolutely not important to protect not only yourself but others too
- 82% agree that it is important to have routin vaccinations
- 11% tend to disagree that it is important to have routin vaccinations
- 4% disagree that it is important to have routine vaccinations
- 69% say that vaccines are not only important for children
- 29% say vaccines are only important for children
- 2 to 4% cannot answer whether vaccines are important only for children
Are vaccines important to protect others?
For Europeans:
- 56% totally agree
- 32% tend to agree
- 7% tend to disagree
- 2% totally disagree
- 3% cannot answer
For Italians:
- 47% totally agree
- 32% tend to agree
- 12% tend to disagree
- 4% totally disagree
- 5% cannot answer
Do vaccines protect those who cannot be vaccinated?
For Europeans:
- 53% totally agree
- 34% tend to agree
- 7% tend to disagree
- 2% totally disagree
- 4% cannot answer
For Italians:
- 43% totally agree
- 36% tend to agree
- 12% tend to disagree
- 4% totally disagree
- 5% cannot answer
È importance of routine vaccination?
For Europeans:
- 49% totally agree
- 33% tend to agree
- 11% tend to disagree
- 4% totally disagree
- 3% cannot answer
For Italians:
- 32% totally agree
- 36% tend to agree
- 18% tend to disagree
- 7% totally disagree
- 7% cannot answer
Are there any health problems resulting from the lack of vaccination?
For Europeans:
- 47% totally agree
- 34% tend to agree
- 11% tend to disagree
- 4% totally disagree
- 4% cannot answer
For Italians:
- 38% totally agree
- 35% tend to agree
- 15% tend to disagree
- 4% totally disagree
- 8% cannot answer
Are vaccinations not only important for children?
For Europeans:
- 13% totally agree
- 16% tend to agree
- 30% tend to disagree
- 39% totally disagree
- 2% cannot answer
For Italians:
- 23% totally agree
- 25% tend to agree
- 27% tend to disagree
- 20% totally disagree
- 5% cannot answer
Vaccination programs
- 38% say that vaccination should be coordinated nationally
- 36% say that vaccination should be coordinated internationally
- 29% say that vaccination should be coordinated at European level
- 16% say that vaccination should be coordinated at regional and local level
- 9% say there should be no vaccination programs as it is a personal choice
Vaccination and media information
Use of sources for information
- 79% say that the source from which they get information is a general practitioner or pediatrician
- 29% say that the source from which they get information is nurses or medical specialists
- 25% say that the source from which a health authority gets information
- 25% say that the source from which a pharmacist takes information
- 14% say that the source from which they get information is the internet
- 9% say that the source from which they get information is their family
- 5% say that the source from which they get information is social networks
- 5% say that the source from which they get information is friends
- 2% say they don't inquire about vaccines
Most reliable sources of information
- 65% say the most reliable source is a doctor or pediatrician
- 12% say that the most reliable source is health authorities
- 9% say health workers are the most reliable source
- 4% say that the most reliable source is pharmacists
- 1% say that the most reliable source is online social networks
- 1% say that the most reliable source is friends
Media influence on vaccinations
Respondents were asked if they had seen, read or heard any information about vaccination in the media during the past six months, and if so, from what sources.
- 51% say they have heard of vaccines on TV
- 17% say they have heard of vaccines in newspapers or magazines
- 14% say they have heard of vaccines on the radio
- 12% say they have heard of vaccines on social networks
- 10% say they have heard of vaccines on the internet
- 34% have not heard of vaccines from sources of information