68% of Catalans think Covid-19 vaccine should be compulsory, says study
Majority approve of Covid passports for hospitality and financing vaccine efforts abroad
68% of Catalans believe the Covid vaccine should be compulsory, compared to just 26% who do not, according to a survey carried out in December by the Catalan government-funded Center for Opinion Studies (CEO).
Not all ages think alike, as this figure rises to three-quarters amongst over 65s and drops to just 58% for 16-24 year-olds.
Vaccination against Covid-19 is not compulsory in Catalonia, with no current plans to make it so.
With regard to Covid passports, while the bulk of those surveyed support their use in the hospitality sector, the figure varies depending on the activity.
Nightlife yielded the highest approval rate, at 85.3%, followed by shows, sports facilities and restaurants at around 80%. From here, backing dropped for public transport access and the workplace, with entering businesses being the least popular at 69.5%.
However, two-thirds are against the idea of requiring a vaccine passport to go out in public.
As of January 27, Covid passes have not been necessary to enter any business or participate in any activity.
On Thursday nightclubs reopen without the need to show the certificate.
Furthermore, 90% of participants believe it necessary to help finance vaccination campaigns in developing nations, although this figure is less when this implies delaying third doses (84%), delaying shots for children (81%), or raising taxes (76%).
CEO conducted the survey on 1,929 residents in Catalonia between December 23 and 28, 2021.
Vaccination Figures
As of February 8, 2022, 6,469,001 residents have been given the first dose of the vaccine, 81.6% of the total population. Out of those, 5,687,539 have also been administered a second dose (71.8% of the total population). 6,194,918 residents are considered to be fully immunized (77.7%).
The vaccination scheme initially prioritized care home users and workers, healthcare staff, and people with severe disabilities living at home before eventually, before being offered to the general population 5 and over.