Consent to compulsory vaccination continues to rise
The 59 percent approval of mandatory vaccinations means that it has doubled since the summer. In July they had only approved 24 percent. And compared to the end of November, this corresponds to an increase of four percentage points. Even so, only 32 percent believe that the government is “dealing with the coronavirus properly”. A majority of Austrians would like to see uniform measures throughout Austria.
Gallup surveyed 1,000 people in its online panel between December 14 and 18, making the survey representative of the web-active population aged 16 and over.
Vaccination opponents generally quarrel with politics
Opponents of vaccination are characterized above all by a high level of general political dissatisfaction. “Compared to the average population, those who do not want to be vaccinated are significantly more dissatisfied with politics, are more critical of the work of the federal government and are less likely to be concerned with the democratic framework,” said Andrea Fronaschütz, head of the Austrian Gallup Institute.
84 percent of those who did not want to be vaccinated are of the opinion that political parties are only interested in winning elections (64 percent in the total population) and 81 percent that percent in the total population). 89 percent agree with the statement that politics should take the worries and fears of the population seriously (68 percent in the general population).
Family discussions
The vaccination issue now also has a profound effect on interpersonal relationships. Almost three quarters of Austrians (72 percent) have already had discussions with acquaintances, 70 percent with friends, 66 percent with families, 46 percent with work colleagues and 39 percent within their partnership because of the coronavirus vaccination. For 24 percent of Austrians, the topic had a negative impact on relationships with acquaintances, for 18 percent with friends and for 17 percent within the family.
83 percent of Austrians know people around them who do not want to be vaccinated against CoV. Two thirds of them state that the vaccination is rejected for health reasons (side effects or long-term consequences). 57 percent state that refusal to vaccinate is justified with the desire to be free to choose one’s own body.
39 percent believe that vaccination skeptics believe the government is not telling the truth. A quarter see skepticism towards science among those who do not want to be vaccinated. Much more often than in September, vaccine skeptics die by waiting for another vaccine (36 to 20 percent).
Uniformity required
A clear majority of Austrians meanwhile advocate uniform measures throughout Austria. While the question of responsibility between the federal government and the federal states of Noch die Waage remained in April, 59 percent of Austrians currently believe that it would be better IF Cov measures were prescribed by the federal government or the Ministry of Health and were the same in all federal states.
Federal decisions are only supported by 31 percent. This value has fallen particularly in the two western federal states of Tyrol and Vorarlberg: In April, 64 percent still upheld federalism, while only 42 percent currently vote for local decisions. When asked about the vaccination strategy, a similar picture emerges: In April, 37 percent think it makes sense that there is no Austria-wide uniform vaccination strategy, currently it is 26 percent.
Good grades for Ludwig
Among the politicians who were particularly positive in overcoming the crisis, the Mayor of Vienna Michael Ludwig (SPÖ) with 30 percent and Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen with 27 percent stand out. The new Federal Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) was able to increase its value from twelve percent in November (still as Minister of the Interior) to now 25 percent. The two green government members Wolfgang Mückstein and Werner Kogler follow with 23 and 20 percent.