Vaccine survey - analysis by age

Between January and February 2021, Healthwatch Haringey heard from 445 people about their thoughts on the COVID vaccine. This report analysed the responses by age.

Reasons for having the vaccine

For anyone aged 55 and over, the most common reason for wanting to have the COVID-19 vaccine was to ensure they did not get sick with coronavirus.

For those aged under 55, the reasons for wanting to have the COVID-19 vaccine were more varied -wanting their life to get back to normal and to be able to go out and about and meet friends and family was the key motivation. But wanting to keep their household safe from COVID-19, and not wanting to get sick with the virus themselves, were also important considerations.

Reasons for vaccine hesitancy

For anyone aged under 45, the most common reason for vaccine hesitancy was a feeling that the vaccine had not been tested enough.

For those aged 45 and over, the reasons for vaccine hesitancy were more varied – there were concerns around vaccine ingredients, concerns around side effects, a desire for more information, and a desire to wait and see what happens with the vaccine rollout. Thinking the vaccine had not been tested enough was not an issue for this age cohort.