42% Indians willing to pay Rs 500 for Covid-19 vaccine: 1mg Survey

Only 5% willing to shell out more than Rs 2,000, about 84% willing to be immunised

A recent survey by online pharmacy 1mg and research outfit Bureau of Research on Industry & Economic Fundamentals (BRIEF) on perceptions of Covid-19 vaccine in India with a sample size of 30,392 people showed that about 42 per cent respondents were willing to pay up to Rs 500 for a Covid-19 vaccine, while only 5 per cent were willing to shell out more than Rs 2,000. According the survey around 84 per cent of the respondents said they were willing to be immunised.

For reasons to get inoculated, around 28 per cent said they would take a vaccine shot as they were living with vulnerable family members, while 22 per cent said that they needed to frequently visit public places. What is more interesting is that 24 per cent would take the vaccine their doctor recommended. About 24 per cent of the respondents said they would base their choice of vaccine on research and evidence on safety, while around 20 per cent would base this decision on research and evidence on efficacy. 

Prashant Tandon, CEO of 1mg said that as India and the world embark on the largest vaccination programme ever conducted, it is important to understand the perceptions of the citizens who are getting swamped with multiple types of information of all kinds. "An efficient programme of vaccination requires consumers concerns to be understood and systematically addressed. This survey brings out the primary perceptions towards vaccination as of January 2021, which is expected to evolve as the programme progresses."