Universities must play a role in vaccine roll-out

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Published

29 July 2021

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  • Students believe Covid-19 vaccine necessary for return to normal university life
  • Black students the least likely ethnic group to get the vaccine
  • Majority of students say their mental health has got worse during recent lockdowns
  • Students believe universities should play a role in vaccine programme

 

 

New research suggests that university students believe that the return to campuses, in-person teaching, and socialising shouldn't happen until they have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19, but uptake of the vaccine is still likely to be lowest among black students.

In researched commissioned by the University of East London (UEL) from Savanta ComRes, 60 per cent of students said they should only be able to return to in-person teaching - and 55 per cent supporting the idea that they should only be able to return to shared accommodation - once they are fully vaccinated, with 22 per cent and 28 per cent respectively, opposing this. A majority (57 per cent ) also believed they should only be able to meet with others socially, (vs 24 per cent opposing) once they had been fully vaccinated.

However, while overall 70 per cent of students indicated they would be very likely to get the vaccine, definitely would or have already had it - just 13 per cent saying they definitely won't or are not very likely to get it - that figure drops to 59 per cent in the London region, significantly below other UK regions. Black students were the least likely ethnic group to want to get the vaccine, with just 44 per cent indicating they would take it and 29 per cent saying they definitely wouldn't or that it was not very likely.

A clear majority of students (70 per cent ) agree that getting the population vaccinated is the only way we can return to life as we know it, and a majority of students (59 per cent ) also believed that universities should help with the vaccine roll-out for students and the wider community. Just 5 per cent said that universities shouldn't help with vaccine roll-out and 32 per cent said they should only help with the vaccination of their students.

Some 43 per cent of students said they were more likely to get the Covid-19 vaccine if they were invited to do at their university campus, but 51 per cent said it would make no difference. Half of students polled (50 per cent)  agreed that once priority groups in the UK have been vaccinated, those in poorer countries should have access to the vaccine before young and healthy people in the UK, but 22 per cent disagreed with this.

There are still concerns about the vaccine, with 16 per cent believing it is unsafe (the majority 61 per cent disagree with this) and some 40 per cent worried about the side effects of the Covid-19 vaccine.

Mental health continues to be an issue for students, with 61 per cent saying it had got worse during the recent Covid-19 lockdowns (21 per cent say it had got better and 18 per cent said no change). Physical health had also declined, with 48 per cent saying it got worse during the recent lockdowns - but 25 per cent saying it had got better.

A majority of students felt that their own university had performed well in the handling of the pandemic (55 per cent vs 20 per cent who feel it has performed badly) and 81 per cent of students also believed that the NHS had performed well.

Importance of campus return

These polling results demonstrate how important it is for universities to continue to invest in the mental and physical health of our students as we get them back to campus and participating in the full experience of university life, delivering world-class opportunities and education,"

Professor Amanda Broderick, UEL vice president and chancellor said.

Professor Broderick continued, "Universities can clearly play an important role in helping to deliver the vaccine roll-out and we await approval as a vaccination centre so the university can help to deliver this vital programme for students, staff and the wider community."

Professor Sally Cutler, an expert in medical microbiology who runs the University of East London’s Covid-19 testing centre, said, "Nationally, students clearly recognise the importance of vaccination and how vital it is in us returning to anything resembling our former lifestyle.

"Vaccination is key for the protection of students, university staff and our larger communities, and ease of access for vaccination and testing has been highlighted as instrumental in maximising uptake. We hope that this will allow us to continue to grow together towards a better future."

"This builds upon the positive spirit that Covid-19 has created at the University of East London, with staff and students working seamlessly together to deliver an asymptomatic testing service that we hope will evolve towards also helping to roll out vaccinations to our staff, students and local community."

Dr Winston Morgan, reader in toxicology and clinical biochemistry at the University of East London said of the results, "It is really important we do not mistake the caution of black students around taking the vaccine for irrational hesitancy. This response is based on their lived experiences - I call it 'Vaccine Agency'- where black students feel empowered to demand clearer information about safety and efficacy from those offering the vaccine including universities. Once that occurs, black students will take the vaccine."

Survey details

Savanta ComRes surveyed 1,020 UK university students online between 5 and 18 March. Data were weighted by gender, age, region, ethnicity and study type/year to be representative of the UK university population.

Full tables can be viewed.

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