THE IRISH are more keen to get vaccinated against Covid-19 than the majority of their European counterparts, according to a new survey.
The Eurobarometer study, published by the European Commission, surveyed more than 24,000 adults across all EU member states in December.
Results demonstrate that Irish people - on the whole - are not only very eager to receive the vaccine, but are also among the most fearful of being infected by Covid-19.
37% of Irish adults say they want to get the Covid-19 vaccine "as soon as possible" - the second highest rate in Europe, after Malta with 41%.
The average for Europe sits at just 23%, showing that Ireland as a nation is far more eager get vaccinated than the rest of the continent.
A further 34% of the country say they want to receive the vaccine "at some point in 2021."
Eagerness to do so may be tied to the fact that 64% of Irish people say they fear they'll be infected.
In contrast, the European average for fear of being infected is 54%.
Only those in Malta, Portugal, Spain and Italy are more fearful of getting Covid than the Irish.
Ireland also, predictably, has one of Europe's lowest rates of people opposed to getting the vaccine.
Just 8% of the population say they will never get the vaccine, while the European average is 17%.
The study also showed that the majority of Irish people would feel more comfortable taking the vaccine once others around them had already taken it.
Two in five Irish respondents said this would be their main reason to seek the vaccine.
Others said they'd be more likely to get the vaccine if more information and clarity on how they've been developed and tested was made available.
Nearly half (49%) of Irish respondents complained that public authorities weren't sufficiently transparent enough about the vaccine - the 4th lowest rate in Europe.
