Confidence in vaccines, fear of AstraZeneca, yes to the health pass and the vaccine passport … The information to remember from our Barometer on Covid-19


The French are more ready to be vaccinated, but not with AstraZeneca serum, indicates our Health Barometer. – Syspeo / Sipa

  • Every month, 20 Minutes, in partnership with Doctissimo, presents its YouGov health barometer on the knowledge and behavior of French people vis-à-vis the coronavirus.
  • While a portion of the French are re-confined, more and more of them want to be vaccinated against the coronavirus.
  • In addition, one in two French people is ready to accept a health pass and vaccination passport system to speed up the return to normal life.

Third containment for third wave. As the coronavirus continues its outbreak due to the spread of the English variant, leading hospitals to the brink of saturation, the government announced Thursday evening the territorial expansion of the restrictions already in force in 16 departments. In this formula, schools remain open, employees who can are invited to telework at least four days out of five, interregional travel is prohibited and businesses deemed “non-essential” again lower the curtain. But forgotten the small hour of daily outing, the reconfigured French can enjoy the outdoors without time limit.

More than a year after the first confinement, these measures depress the French a little more, since 57% say that the context has a negative impact on their morale, or 6 points more than in February, according to our Health Barometer
YouGov* for 20 Minutes and Doctissimo. New modalities which are understood by two thirds of French people, but which are not considered proportionate to the situation. If 21% of those questioned believe that this is the best compromise, 36% say that this confinement is not restrictive enough, while 30% consider it unnecessary.

The seasonality of the virus in question

“The” bet “was made to save time, recalls Dr. Benjamin Davido, infectious disease specialist at the Raymond-Poincaré hospital in Garches (Hauts-de-Seine). The epidemic pressure imposes new measures, but the government has been able to evolve by proposing an “external confinement”, which allows to live more outside, where the risk of contamination is much lower “, insists the infectious disease specialist.

From now on, “the question that will arise is that of the seasonality of the coronavirus,” he continues. Every year, the seasonal flu dies at the end of March, and last year the epidemic peak of the first wave was passed on April 10. So we will quickly see if the pattern recurs and if we succeed in conquering the epidemic without placing too heavy a psychological and economic burden on the French ”.

More French people want to be vaccinated …

A context which, at the same time, convinces more and more French people to take the leap of vaccination. Because if they are traditionally among the most challenging in the world, mentalities are changing. Now, nearly 6 in 10 people (58%) say they want to be inoculated, or 4 points more in a month, according to our YouGov barometer. “Today, we know that vaccination works: more than 90% of nursing home residents have been vaccinated. We see that this has considerably slowed down the epidemic on the subjects most at risk and drastically reduced hospitalizations in this age group. And in the United Kingdom and in Israel, where we have vaccinated massively, there are almost no more deaths ”, underlines Dr Davido.

Results that convince among the most cautious. “The French realize that no one is invulnerable in the face of this disease,” insists the infectious disease specialist. The virus wakes up as soon as the barrier measures weaken. However, today, we are in the third wave, with the impression of an endless pandemic. So opinion is shifting, the desire to get out of this crisis goes beyond the possible fear of the vaccine ”.

A change that the infectious disease specialist, who vaccinates caregivers against Covid-19, observes among his colleagues: “In the hospital too, caregivers are tired of the pandemic: since the first wave, they have seen stretchers arriving , people die and they want it to stop. After all, we have been vaccinated for a long time to protect ourselves from disease; it is a gentle and effective protective method ”.

… But not with AstraZeneca

On the other hand, the AstraZeneca vaccine, suspected of being linked to cases of thrombosis, shows a great lack of confidence. Only 4 out of 10 French people are still ready to receive this serum. “A consistent result, believes Dr. Davido, since he has been the target of all criticism.” With AstraZeneca, “we created the idea that it is a second-tier vaccine, analyzes the infectious disease specialist. It has been the subject of changing vaccine targets: first the youngest, then the oldest. It has never been recommended for all eligible people. While Pfizer and Moderna can be administered to anyone, and therefore are perceived to be safer. While messenger RNA initially raised concerns because it was a new technology, people are now more reassured. Including the caregivers, who are very happy to receive Pfizer now that AstraZeneca is reserved for over 55s ”.

Consequence: more than a quarter of the people questioned (27%) would not be ready to be vaccinated with AstraZeneca. For its part, the government recalls that massive deliveries from Pfizer are expected in the second quarter.

Health pass and vaccination passport for a return to normal life

Enough to ensure the continuation of the vaccination campaign and hope for a return to normal life soon. And for that, health pass and vaccination passport could be required. The first, proving that we are not contaminated by Covid-19, would be presented at the entrance of restaurants, museums and other cinemas. The second, proving that we are vaccinated and immunized, would be the key to being able to travel and travel the globe again. And more than one in two French people (52% for the pass and 50% for the passport) is ready to submit to it.

“The objective of having vaccinated all those who wish it by this summer will be very difficult to meet. Young people will be the last eligible, therefore the last to regain their freedom to travel, notes Dr Davido. However, it is a public addicted to the smartphone and eager to find a social life, which would therefore be likely to join a computer tool, an app, allowing them to frequent all these places of life again. It would be simple and effective: we get tested, by PCR or antigen test, and if the result is negative, we load a QR code into the dedicated app and we can exit as we want ”.

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* The survey was carried out on 1,000 people representative of the French national population aged 18 and over. The survey was carried out online, on the YouGov France proprietary panel from March 19 to 21, 2021.



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