More people are finding vaccines effective compared to before the pandemic, new research has found.
The research, carried out by Ipsos for the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association (IPHA), found that 91 per cent of people believe vaccines are effective.
When the same question was asked in late 2019, 79 per cent of people said they believed vaccines were effective.
The new figures also show that 91 per cent of people trust doctors and nurses for accurate information about vaccines.
Meanwhile, 85 per cent of people said they trust scientists and vaccine specialists, followed by 81 per cent who said they trust pharmacists.
Just 33 per cent said they trust traditional media sources for accurate information about vaccines, while 13 per cent trust politicians.
According to the survey, women and younger people are more likely than men and older age cohorts to seek information about vaccines.
Of those surveyed, 57 per cent said they have received adult vaccination for diseases other than Covid-19, including flu, mumps, rubella, Hepatitis B, whooping cough and pneumococcal disease.
Bernard Mallee, director communications and advocacy at IPHA, said: “There is clear public confidence in vaccines to stop diseases and people trust experts with the facts about vaccines.
“It is probable that Covid-19 has heightened public awareness of the role of vaccines in improving health.
“Even though we have a world-class vaccination rate for Covid-19, a significant number of adults remain unvaccinated for other vaccine-preventable diseases. We hope that can change.
“Before the introduction of vaccines for smallpox, rubella, measles, pneumonia, tuberculosis and polio, outbreaks of these diseases caused serious harm to communities in Ireland.
“Covid-19 is the latest chapter in a story of breakthrough science for better public health.
“It is encouraging that public trust in science is strong. It means more of us can stay safe throughout life.”
