Vaccine safety: British are less sceptical than Europeans, but younger people need assurance

The UK cannot afford to be complacent about vaccination rates despite higher public confidence in their safety than in many other European nations, global experts have warned.

Just under half of people surveyed in the UK (46%) strongly agreed that vaccines were safe. While this was significantly higher than in the rest of Europe (40%), it was some way below the global average of 61%, in a survey of more than 140 000 people in over 140 countries.1

Data from the Wellcome Global Monitor, the first global survey of its kind from the Wellcome Trust and the polling company Gallup, showed high overall global trust in doctors, nurses, and scientists, as well …