A Statec survey conducted over May and June has shown that 82% of the population is keen to have a covid jab. The statistics agency asked 1,000 thousand residents aged 18 or over if they were prepared to be vaccinated against covid-19 as part of the Trustlab project, an OECD initiative aimed at assessing public confidence in science.

In the grand duchy, according to the survey, 72.5% of the population has high confidence in science, and 68% say they trust the work of scientists. Despite the loud volume of anti-vaxxers and conspiracy theorists that have made the news headlines around the world during the covid pandemic, the Trustlab survey reports similar levels of confidence in science around Europe and in the United States. Less than 5% of the population in Luxembourg has “weak” trust in science.

However, 12.7% of respondents in the Statec survey said they were reluctant to receive a covid vaccination, while 4.9% expressed no opinion. Willingness to get vaccinated increases with age, with the over 65s saying that getting vaccinated is more important than using facial masks.

Nevertheless, wearing a mask is still seen as the responsible thing to do in Luxembourg. 72% of participants say they always wear a mask in public places, and a further 20% do so often. Just 1.7% say they never wear a mask. Looking at the age split, the use of masks is more frequent among the younger and older generations, with those aged around 30 to 55 seemingly among the least likely to wear facial coverings.

Statec says the survey shows that “building public confidence in science, explaining how science advances and consolidates knowledge is fundamental to implementing more effective health policies. Trust in general, especially in public institutions, also plays a positive role in vaccination.” It concludes that if the survey’s results on vaccination intention were translated into actual inoculation rates, then herd immunity could be achieved in the grand duchy.