Vaccine ‘passports’ should be required of travellers, global survey finds
Overwhelming majority back certification before entry, according to YouGov
A YouGov survey of many of the world’s major travel markets suggests overwhelming support for travel vaccination certificates or ‘vaccine passports’.
Online research firm YouGov surveyed consumers aged 18 and above in 17 countries in the second half of April, asking whether they agreed international travellers should be required to have vaccination ‘passports’.
The overwhelming majority of respondents agreed, with majorities in every country.
India (85%) and Indonesia (86%) recorded the highest rates of agreement, with four out of five in China (80%), Singapore (82%), Mexico (82%) and Australia (79%) also agreeing international travellers should present proof of vaccination against Covid-19.
Three-quarters of respondents agreed with vaccine ‘passports’ in the UK (77%), the UAE (76%), Italy (75%) and Spain (74%) and support was also high in Denmark (71%) and Sweden (68%).
Support for vaccination certificates in the world’s major outbound travel markets only fell below two-thirds in the US (62%), Germany (61%) and France (62%).
Three out of five (60%) in Hong Kong supported travel vaccination certificates and even in Poland, which showed the lowest level of support, more than half (54%) were still in favour.
The survey found some variation in support by age, with a higher proportion of older respondents in favour in all markets.
In the UK, for example, the research found 66% of 18-24-year-olds and 65% of those aged 25-34 favoured certificates compared with 79% of 45-54 year olds and 86% of those aged 55 and over.
The high level of support for Covid-19 certification for travellers may be double edged, reflecting a desire to travel among those who have been vaccinated on the one hand, but a wish to bar entry to unvaccinated travellers on the other.
The results show high rates of support for vaccine certification not only in countries with high rates of vaccination such as the UK, where there is widespread access to vaccines, but also in countries with limited vaccination programmes to date, such as Indonesia.
The survey also found high levels of support in countries with high rates of infection such as India as well as those with currently low infection rates, such as Australia, Singapore and China where the virus has been controlled more by restrictions and border controls more than by vaccination programmes.
Online research firm YouGov surveyed consumers aged 18 and above in 17 countries in the second half of April, asking whether they agreed international travellers should be required to have vaccination ‘passports’.
The overwhelming majority of respondents agreed, with majorities in every country.
India (85%) and Indonesia (86%) recorded the highest rates of agreement, with four out of five in China (80%), Singapore (82%), Mexico (82%) and Australia (79%) also agreeing international travellers should present proof of vaccination against Covid-19.
Three-quarters of respondents agreed with vaccine ‘passports’ in the UK (77%), the UAE (76%), Italy (75%) and Spain (74%) and support was also high in Denmark (71%) and Sweden (68%).
Support for vaccination certificates in the world’s major outbound travel markets only fell below two-thirds in the US (62%), Germany (61%) and France (62%).
Three out of five (60%) in Hong Kong supported travel vaccination certificates and even in Poland, which showed the lowest level of support, more than half (54%) were still in favour.
The survey found some variation in support by age, with a higher proportion of older respondents in favour in all markets.
In the UK, for example, the research found 66% of 18-24-year-olds and 65% of those aged 25-34 favoured certificates compared with 79% of 45-54 year olds and 86% of those aged 55 and over.
The high level of support for Covid-19 certification for travellers may be double edged, reflecting a desire to travel among those who have been vaccinated on the one hand, but a wish to bar entry to unvaccinated travellers on the other.
The results show high rates of support for vaccine certification not only in countries with high rates of vaccination such as the UK, where there is widespread access to vaccines, but also in countries with limited vaccination programmes to date, such as Indonesia.
The survey also found high levels of support in countries with high rates of infection such as India as well as those with currently low infection rates, such as Australia, Singapore and China where the virus has been controlled more by restrictions and border controls more than by vaccination programmes.