Cigna International finds community spirit and duty to society top driver of COVID-19 vaccine uptake

Key research findings:

• Vaccine acceptance continues to improve – steady increase in vaccine acceptance, 69% up from 63% in three months
• Urgency has increased – those waiting to get a vaccination until more people have had their first one dropped 8% in three months, from 50% to 42%
• Vaccination a possibility for most – just 9% of unvaccinated respondents say nothing can persuade them to receive the vaccine

HONG KONG, July 15, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A sense of community spirit and duty to society are core to the success of global vaccination programs, according to a report published today by Cigna's International Markets business. The third edition of the COVID-19 Vaccine Perception Study shows collective responsibility is the main reason people reported as the motivation to get vaccinated. The study also revealed a positive shift in vaccination rates among respondents, which increased from 25% in April to 31% in May, complementing the growing willingness to get vaccinated, up from 63% in March to 69% in May.

The research shows vaccine hesitancy, or a "wait and see" approach to vaccination, has dropped significantly over the past three months. The first wave of research in March showed 50% of respondents waiting to get a vaccine. This reduced by 3% in April and an additional 5% in May, showing a growing confidence in vaccines.

The study surveyed more than 13,000 people across 11 markets and aims to highlight perceptions and attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccines around the world.

Vaccination programs make rapid progress in several markets

The research shows vaccination programs continue to make rapid progress. In just one month, vaccination rates amongst respondents increased from 25% to 31%, and the markets with the highest rates continue to be the UK (68% up from 60%), UAE (62% up from 58%) and USA (57% up from 49%). In other markets, there has been a dramatic increase over the past month, including in Singapore, a 13% increase (29% to 42%) and Spain, a 12% increase (16% to 28%). Mainland China saw an 11% increase (30% up to 41%) and has now administered over 1.2 billion shots.

Jason Sadler, president, Cigna International Markets said: "The findings from our third COVID-19 Vaccine Perception Study highlight some incredible progress in global vaccination programs. However, the study underlines the importance of continued support and encouragement for vaccination programs to help build confidence in those yet to receive vaccinations and to ultimately achieve herd immunity. Cigna has been consistent in our support of vaccinations, which we believe is the best way to address the challenge of COVID-19 as a global community."

He added: "We encourage people to seek trustworthy sources of information about vaccines, such as updates from your local health authority, and to request a vaccination."

Notable difference in attitudes between vaccinated and unvaccinated

The largest gulf in opinion between those who have been vaccinated and those who have not, relates to perceptions about vaccine safety. Although both vaccinated and unvaccinated people had similar levels of anxiety around contracting COVID-19 (54% and 57% respectively) and transmitting it to others (73% versus 75%), perceived risks of side effects and safety, as well as a lack of access, are slowing vaccine uptake. Globally, 9% of those yet to receive a vaccine were adamant that nothing could persuade them to take the COVID-19 vaccine.

Government bodies most trusted source of information

Across all markets and all generations, the findings show the two most trusted sources for vaccine information continue to be government bodies and doctors. Vaccinated respondents are more likely to trust information from government bodies (73% vs. 63% respectively), doctors (66% vs. 57%) and private healthcare insurance providers (43% vs. 38%), compared to unvaccinated respondents. In contrast, unvaccinated people are more likely to trust information from TV news, friends and family and social media than those who have been vaccinated. The findings continue to show that despite the perception that social media would have a widespread negative influence, only 5% of people chose social media as their most trusted source of information on COVID-19 vaccines.

Download the report

Click here to download the full COVID-19 Vaccine Perception Study Report – 3rd edition
Click here to download the full COVID-19 Vaccine Perception Study Report – 2nd edition
Click here to download the full COVID-19 Vaccine Perception Study Report – 1st edition

Research methodology:

Cigna partnered with You Gov, the international research data and analytics group, who engaged with 13,092 respondents between 12th and 20th May 2021. The respondents were a representative sample aged 18 or over, 52% male and 48% female, from across 11 markets: Mainland China, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, UAE, UK and US.

About Cigna

Cigna Corporation (NYSE: CI) is a global health service company dedicated to improving the health, well-being and peace of mind of those we serve. Cigna delivers choice, predictability, affordability and access to quality care through integrated capabilities and connected, personalized solutions that advance whole person health. All products and services are provided exclusively by or through operating subsidiaries of Cigna Corporation, Evernorth companies or their affiliates, and Express Scripts companies or their affiliates. Such products and services include an integrated suite of health services, such as medical, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy, vision, supplemental benefits, and other related products. Cigna maintains sales capability in over 30 countries and jurisdictions, and has more than 190 million customer relationships throughout the world. To learn more about Cigna^®, including links to follow us on Facebook or Twitter, visit www.cigna.com.

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