In alliance with Linterna Verde, Cifras & Conceptos included in its Polimétrica survey a module dedicated to analysing citizen perception of the coronavirus vaccine in Colombia and its relationship with information consumption patterns. This document shows the main findings on the perception of Colombians in seven capital cities.
The survey results indicate that the majority of the population in Colombia would accept the vaccine. However, there is a considerable group of people who tend to be sceptical, compounded by elements of the digital public debate that could exacerbate distrust among citizens. Among the most sceptical populations are women, the middle sectors, the over-56s and those in domestic occupations. It is also striking that people who have children or pets - and, therefore, greater proximity to the issue - are just as open to the coronavirus vaccine as those who do not.
The social media debate does not seem to be differentially influencing people's perceptions of the vaccine in Colombia, as is the case in other countries. However, variables such as citizens' trust in the government or political ideology do have an impact. Among those who consider that President Iván Duque has managed the pandemic well, there is a much higher percentage of people who would most likely take the vaccine when it becomes available. In relation to political ideology, among those who consider themselves right-wing, there is a higher percentage of people who would be more likely to take the vaccine than those who consider themselves centre or left-wing.