More than three in four people will get immunised against COVID-19, find the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association

As the Government sets immunisation targets, our latest polling shows just 6% of people will refuse a COVID-19 vaccine. More than three in four people, or 77%, will get immunised against the virus while 15% are unsure.

The figures, gathered by pollsters Ipsos MRBI, are encouraging. But there can be no room for complacency. The goal is to vaccinate as much of the population as possible, as quickly as possible.

The speed at which COVID-19 vaccine breakthroughs are happening is unprecedented. They have been enabled by science, by rigorous and efficient clinical assessment, and by the collaboration of expert teams across territories and between disciplines.

Because of viral mutations, modified vaccines are already in development. The scaling of global production capacity is complex, expensive and risky. So, too, is the scaling of logistics and distribution capacity. Just as the biopharmaceutical industry stepped up to the challenge of finding safe and effective vaccines in record time, it is working around the clock to produce enough doses to meet global demand.

We have vaccines and treatments to tackle COVID-19 because intellectual property protection catalyses biopharmaceutical innovation. These innovations came forward at record speed, without compromising on safety or efficacy.

Our industry fully supports public-private global initiatives such as COVAX to help deliver and fund vaccines for developing countries. This has been boosted by contributions from governments in developed nations in recent days. The goal all of us share is to vaccinate as much of the population as possible, as quickly as possible.