Survey: What Danes know about the efficacy and side effects of COVID-19 vaccines

Most people will have to consider COVID-19 vaccines at some point during the pandemic, as an individual being offered the vaccine or as a relative of someone offered the vaccine. Vaccines are certainly a true public debate.

For each individual to make an informed decision about vaccination, reliable information about vaccine safety and efficacy must be accessible to make that choice.
We all have a responsibility to ensure that public debate on vaccines is informed, proper and that it promotes respect for different opinions.

But is it an informed vaccine debate? And do we respect other people’s views? We have put these questions to the Danish population to find out what they know about the vaccines’ efficacy and side effects.

The first survey was conducted in the period 26 March to 5 April 2021. We expect to carry out a maximum of four surveys at three-month intervals.

News and main conclusions

Danes know how vaccines work, but they underestimate how common mild side effects are

A new population survey shows that Danes are generally well-informed when it comes to how COVID-19 vaccines prevent the disease. But almost half of Danes underestimate how many get mild, transient side effects, such as fever, after their COVID-19 vaccination.

New survey: Four in ten Danes would contact their doctor if they develop fever after COVID-19 vaccination

Almost four in ten Danes say in the survey that they would contact their doctor if they develop fever as a side effect after the COVID-19 vaccine jab. Theoretically, this corresponds to up to half a million Danes when everyone has been fully vaccinated.

More than one in two young people say the COVID-19 vaccine debate is characterised by misinformation

In a new survey, more than half of the 16 to 34-year-olds find that the vaccine debate is characterised by misinformation, and that the tone is negative. The Danish Medicines Agency is now stepping up its ‘think before you share campaign’ (#TænkFørDuDeler) – a campaign encouraging people to check facts and to respect other people on social media.