MediaprismGroup, 1st integrated Marketing Services group in France carried out an online survey on December 10 and 11, 2009 with a sample of more than 14,000 people aged 18 and over from the database of 12 million Internet users agreeing to participate in the EmailetYou survey program.
The subject of influenza A is a major concern of the French since 95% of them say they talk about it regularly with those around them.
Beyond this strong concern, the survey reveals a real ambiguity since 64% of respondents consider the influenza A virus little or not at all dangerous while 62% think that it can cause the death of people without of pathology, nor of particular fragility.
This ambiguity exacerbates the feeling of the French concerning information about influenza A. They say they are rather badly informed: 59% of them consider themselves badly informed by the government and 56% badly informed by the medical profession.
In reaction to this phenomenon, 69% think that the media do not relay information correctly.
The ambient confusion, ignorance and the feeling of being ill-informed lead to a real paradox since the French are more afraid of the vaccine than of the flu as such and give great skepticism towards vaccination:
– 90% of French people have not (yet) been vaccinated and 78% of them do not plan to do so.
– 84% of parents have not had their children vaccinated and 79% of them have no intention of doing so.
– It is mainly the fear of long-term side effects that slows them down:
-73% dread them, 48% dread them a lot.
– 73% of respondents consider that the vaccination system is poorly organized and therefore 63% approve of the fact that interns, occupational physicians and soldiers are requisitioned.
“Through this study, we sought to measure the opinion of the French on three main subjects: the perception of the danger of the virus, the perception of the information and communication campaign carried out by the public authorities and relayed by the media and intentions to be vaccinated. Influenza A is a major concern of the French and they expect, on all subjects in general and on public health subjects in particular, real communication, transparency and trust The French feel the need to be in tune with their leaders to overcome crises so as not to be guided by fears but rather by clear precautionary principles and values of sharing and civility ”explains Frédérique Agnès, President of MediaprismGroup.
