Global survey reveals most people support vaccines, though mistrust persists

Most of the world's population agrees vaccines are safe, but a minority continues to be skeptical, according to a report from the Wellcome Trust published June 19.

The report is the first global survey of attitudes toward science and health. Representatives of Wellcome Global Monitor interviewed over 140,000 people 15 years and older in 140 countries to create the report. They found 79 percent of people "somewhat" or "strongly" agree vaccines are safe, while 7 percent "somewhat" or "strongly" disagreed.

People in high-income regions were less likely to trust vaccines. Seventy-two percent of people in North America, 59 percent in Western Europe and just 50 percent in Eastern Europe said vaccines were safe, in contrast with 95 percent in South Asia and 92 percent in East Africa.

The survey also shows people with more education in high-income countries were less likely to support vaccines, but the opposite was true in low-income countries.

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