An increasing majority of 80% of Australians willing to be vaccinated for COVID-19 – up 1% point since late January

Now 80% of Australians say they would be willing to be vaccinated if a new Coronavirus vaccine became publicly available, up 1% point since late January. In addition, 61% of Australians say mask wearing should be compulsory and 57% don’t want State borders to be completely open according to a special Roy Morgan SMS survey into Australian attitudes towards COVID-19.

Support for the compulsory wearing of masks has declined by 11% points to 61% of Australians since mid-January but has increased in Victoria, now at 78% (up 1% point), as the State entered its third lockdown on Friday evening.

A decreased majority of 57% (down 11% points since mid-January) don’t want State borders to be completely open but there is a wide divergence of views depending upon where someone lives.

A large majority of 80% of people in Western Australia don’t want State borders completely open, down 5% points since mid-January, compared to only 42% of people in NSW (down 13% points) according to the survey conducted with an Australia-wide cross-section of 1,685 Australians aged 18+ on Friday February 12 – Saturday February 13, 2021.

Vast majority of 80% of Australians say they’ll be vaccinated when a Coronavirus vaccine is available – up 1% point since late January

Now four-fifths of Australians (80%) say they will be vaccinated when a Coronavirus vaccine becomes available and this sentiment is high across a broad range of demographics including among both men (83%) and women (77%), across all age groups and in all six States.

People in NSW (86%) are the most likely to say they would be willing to be vaccinated when a Coronavirus vaccine becomes available ahead of 82% of Victorians (83% in Melbourne cf. 80% in Country Victoria) but support is also high in Western Australia (76%), South Australia (76%), Tasmania (75%) and Queensland (71%).

Supporters of the three main political parties are in agreement on this question with 82% of L-NP supporters, 78% of ALP supporters and 84% of Greens supporters saying they would be willing to be vaccinated when a Coronavirus vaccine becomes available.

Earlier in the pandemic, back in March/April 2020 when the first lockdown was enforced around Australia, support for being vaccinated for COVID-19 was significantly higher with 87% of Australians in early April agreeing they would be vaccinated including 56% who strongly agreed and 31% who agreed.

Women, ALP supporters and people in Victoria most likely to support wearing masks

Support for the compulsory wearing masks is highest amongst women (65%), ALP supporters (67%) and in a geographic sense people in Victoria (78%) – Melbourne (80%) cf. Country Victoria (71%). In contrast only 41% of people in South Australia and 50% of people in Queensland and Western Australia say mask wearing should be compulsory.

Analysis by Federal voting intention shows ALP supporters (67%) and Greens supporters (65%) are the most likely to support the compulsory wearing of masks ahead of 60% of L-NP supporters.

In Victoria mask wearing was wanted by 65% in November, and this has now increased to 78% - so up – although lower than when Roy Morgan measured in Victoria in August (89%) and September (87%) during that State’s second COVID-19 wave.

Large majority of people in Western Australia don’t want State borders completely open

A large majority of 80% of people in Western Australia don’t want State borders to be completely open today – a higher rate than any other State, but down 5% points since mid-January and in line with the tough border policies of the State enforced by Premier Mark McGowan.

There is also strong consensus to not completely open State borders amongst people in Tasmania (72%), South Australia (71%) and Queensland (61%) although all have declined since mid-January.

Victoria is the State most split on the issue with 55%, down 15% points since mid-January, not wanting State borders to be completely open (56% in Melbourne cf. 54% in Country Victoria), while 45% of Victorians do want State borders to be completely open.

In only one State, NSW, are a majority of 58% of people in favour of all State borders being completely open now, up 13% points since mid-January.

A clear majority of 59% of women don’t want State borders to be completely open compared to 54% of men. Once again it is younger people aged under 35 who are most opposed to State borders being completely open with 64% against the proposal compared to 55% aged 35-49, 53% aged 50-64 and a slim majority of 51% of people aged 65+.

Clear majorities of Greens supporters (68%) and ALP supporters (60%) do not want State borders to be completely open today. In contrast L-NP supporters are evenly split on the issue with 50% who do not want State borders completely today and 50% who do.

Michele Levine CEO Roy Morgan, says four-fifths of Australians say they are willing to be vaccinated when a coronavirus vaccine becomes publicly available and clear (though shrinking) majorities are in favour of compulsory mask wearing and against opening all State borders:

“In mid-February 80% of Australians (up 1% points since late January) say they would be willing to be vaccinated when a coronavirus vaccine becomes publicly available – with support highest in NSW (86%) and Victoria (82%). The two largest States have felt the largest impact from COVID-19 with over 20,000 cases of COVID-19 in Victoria and nearly 5,000 in NSW.

“Over three-fifths of Australians (61%) are in favour of compulsory mask wearing although this represents a decline of 11% points since mid-January. Support is clearly highest in Victoria at 78%, and barely changed from a month ago (77%). Mask wearing has been compulsory in Victoria in certain settings such as shopping centres, supermarkets and public transport for over seven months since early July 2020.

“There is no real partisan divide on the issue as has been seen in other countries such as the United States. Clear majorities of L-NP supporters (60%), ALP supporters (67%) and Greens supporters (65%) are all in favour of the compulsory wearing of masks.

“When it comes to the opening of State borders the views of Australians tend to align with their respective State Governments. NSW has had the most open border policy throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and only closed its borders’ once and is the only State in which a majority of people (58%) want all the State borders open – up 13% points since mid-January.

“There has also been movement in Victoria in which 55% of people do not want all State borders completely open – but this is down a significant 15% points since mid-January. The results indicate that Victorians have moved towards completely opening all State borders in recent weeks as State’s have successfully dealt with several local outbreaks of COVID-19.

“At the other end of the spectrum people in the two States with the most restrictive border policies are most in favour of keeping State borders closed. A large majority of 80% of people in Western Australia and 72% of Tasmanians don’t want State borders completely open today.”

For further comment or more information contact:
Michele Levine 0411 129 093 or Gary Morgan 0411 129 094 or email askroymorgan@roymorgan.com.

Australians surveyed were each asked the following questions to determine their attitudes towards wearing masks, the opening/closure of State borders and whether they would take a COVID-19 vaccine:

• Question 1: “If a new Coronavirus vaccine became publicly available, would you be willing to be vaccinated?” Yes 80% (up 1% point since late January) cf. No 20% (down 1% point).
  
• Question 2: “Should wearing masks be compulsory or not?”Yes 61% (down 11% points since mid-January) cf. No 39% (up 11% points).
  
• Question 3: “Do you believe State borders within Australia should be completely open today?” Yes 43% (up 11% points since mid-January) cf. No 57% (down 11% points).

This special Roy Morgan Snap SMS survey was conducted with an Australia-wide cross-section of 1,685 Australians aged 18+ on Friday February 12 – Saturday February 13, 2021.

Question 1:

If a new Coronavirus vaccine became publicly available, would you be willing to be vaccinated?

By Gender & Age

If a new Coronavirus vaccine became publicly available, would you be willing to be vaccinated?

By States & City/Country

If a new Coronavirus vaccine became publicly available, would you be willing to be vaccinated?

By Party Vote (Federal)

This question was previously asked as part of an international survey in conjunction with Gallup International using a five-point scale in March 2020, April 2020 and again in November 2020: Strongly Agree, Agree, Disagree, Strongly Disagree, Don’t know.

If a new Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine became publicly available, I would be willing to be vaccinated

For more details on this survey please view the release here: https://www.roymorgan.com/findings/8604-gallup-international-survey-covid-19-opinion-questions-november-2020-202012211153

Question 2:

Should wearing masks be compulsory or not?

By Gender & Age

Should wearing masks be compulsory or not?

By States & City/Country

Should wearing masks be compulsory or not?

By Party Vote (Federal)

Should wearing masks be compulsory or not? – asked of Victorians during Victoria’s second lockdown (August 2020 & September 2020) and just after the lockdown ended (November 2020).

Question 3:

Do you believe State borders within Australia should be completely open today?

By Gender & Age

Do you believe State borders within Australia should be completely open today?

By States & City/Country

Do you believe State borders within Australia should be completely open today?

By Party Vote (Federal)

For comments or more information please contact:
Roy Morgan - Enquiries
Office: +61 (03) 9224 5309
askroymorgan@roymorgan.com