Paris (AFP)

The population's support for the Covid-19 vaccine is on the rise in several countries such as the United Kingdom, the United States or even the very skeptical France, according to an international study published on Monday by the Kekst CNC firm.

The study conducted in six countries (France, United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, United States and Sweden) shows a clear upward trend everywhere compared to the end of 2020.

Thus, in France, 59% of respondents say they are ready to receive a vaccine or have already done so against only 40% last December.

The increase is even more spectacular in Sweden, with 76% of responses in favor of this question against 51% in September 2020.

The UK membership rate is highest, with 89%, compared to 65% last September.

On the other hand, respondents are much more critical of the effectiveness of the deployment of vaccination in their respective countries.

While 3 in 4 Britons are pleased with the rapid implementation of vaccination in their country, the ratio collapses in the other nations surveyed, to 32% in the United States, 22% in France and even 20% in Sweden.

Asked which countries they think are the most effective in this area, it is unsurprisingly Israel, where half the population has received at least one dose, and the United Kingdom which comes out on top.

In most of the countries surveyed, the majority of respondents want above all to maintain measures to protect the population before the economy.

Six in 10 Britons, for example, prefer to limit the spread of the virus to protect the economy.

The rate is 50% in Japan (against 18% for the economy) and 47% in Germany and Sweden (against 31% and 29% respectively for the economy).

Only the French are more likely to want a return to economic activity as a priority (38% against 36% in favor of limiting the spread).

A year after the start of the pandemic, a majority of those polled also remain cautious about a possible lifting of the restrictions, even in the event of a net decline in the number of cases and deaths.

Finally, the study shows that a majority of people are opposed to holding the Tokyo Olympics this year, starting with the Japanese themselves who are only 16% to want the event to take place.

The survey was conducted in mid-February over ten days, on representative samples of 1,000 adults in each country.

The margin of error is 3.3% for all countries.

© 2021 AFP