By Kaya 959 Reporter
More than half (54%) of South African adults support employers making COVID-19 vaccinations compulsory and 51% support vaccine passports.
This is according to a survey by the University of Johannesburg’s (UJ) Centre for Social Change. The study was conducted in collaboration with the Human Sciences Research Council.
These latest findings come from round 5 of the UJ/HSRC COVID-19 democracy survey. Officials collected data between 22 October and 17 November 2021.
The survey was fully completed by 6,633 participants.
It found that levels of support for these policies differ considerably by vaccination status and willingness to vaccinate.
“Among the fully vaccinated, support for compulsory workplace vaccination and vaccine passports is 75% and 78%, respectively. However, among those that are unvaccinated and do not want to be vaccinated, support falls to under 10% for both measures,” the survey found.
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Vaccine passports for sporting events
It also revealed that support for compulsory workplace vaccination is highest amongst Indian adults (65%) followed by Black adults (56%), Coloured adults (49%) and lowest among white adults (32%).
It further found that support for vaccine passports is lower among white adults, 32% compared to 54% for Black adults, 51% of Indian adults, and 46% among Coloured adults.
The survey found that people with higher levels of education were more opposed to compulsory workplace vaccination and vaccine passports.
It also found that adults aged 18-24 years had slightly higher support for compulsory workplaces vaccination compared to older age groups.
The survey also gauged relative levels of support for vaccine passports to enter six particular types of public places.
Close to half supported vaccine passports being introduced for sporting events at stadiums. Similar shares supported vaccine passports at schools, universities, restaurants, shisanyamas, coffee shops, or nightclubs.
Slightly lower support was evident for such measures at municipal offices (38%) and places of worship (40%).
“Vaccination status and level of vaccine hesitancy again matters appreciably for levels of support.”
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