How does Catalonia feel about the Covid-19 vaccine?

With the various Covid-19 vaccines being rolled out, the debate surrounding whether to take the jab or not has flared up throughout the country. In the latest survey done by CIS, published on February 18,  82.9% of Spaniards were willing to be vaccinated just hitting the benchmark for herd immunity. 

In December those happy to receive the jab had been at only 40.5%, so what has changed, and why are a small minority still reticent?

The vaccination campaign began in Catalonia on December 27, 2020. The rollout has been relatively slow in the area due to various delays, including the freezers needed to store the jab being stuck in Dover at the start of the process and various delays in shipments.

Nonetheless, every day the percentage of the population vaccinated slowly increases. As of February 18, 2021, 277,091 residents have been given the first dose of the vaccine, 3.59% of the total population. Out of those, 176,212 have also been administered the second dose (2.28% of the total population). 

In data released in January, 6% of care home workers, 4.3% of at-risk cases, and 1% of health workers opted not to take a dose. 

The February 18 CIS poll found that a third of those who would not be willing to receive a dose argue that they do not trust the vaccines, and around 20% is afraid of side effects.

Out of the 11 people interviewed by Catalan News in mid-February, six said they would get the vaccine, one was unsure and four would not. 

Fear surrounding Covid-19 vaccine

Many of those who wanted to get the vaccine expressed that they saw it as the only way for society to return to normal, that it was the necessary route.

However, when it came to those who were unsure or did not want to get the jab, the same worry cropped up; the idea that the vaccine was created quickly and this, in turn, made it unsafe.