Study title

Finnish Views on Mandatory Vaccination Survey 2021

Dataset ID Number

FSD3663

Persistent identifier

urn:nbn:fi:fsd:T-FSD3663

Data Type

Quantitative

Authors

• Finnish Research Infrastructure for Public Opinion (FIRIPO)

Abstract

The survey charted Finnish views on vaccines and mandatory vaccination in the spring of 2021. The data were collected as part of the citizen panel project, which is part of the Finnish Research Infrastructure for Public Opinion (FIRIPO).

All respondents read an introductory text before starting the survey. The text summarised the situation regarding mandatory vaccinations in the context of the coronavirus pandemic (vaccination was not compulsory for anyone at the time of the survey) and presented the respondents with a fictional scenario where a different pandemic had broken out and a vaccine that had been tested according to the usual vaccine development and testing process and had been deemed safe and effective was widely available and used to combat the disease. The respondents were randomly divided into seven groups. Respondents belonging to the control group continued to the survey questions after reading the introductory text. The six other groups were presented varying additional information. The respondents in the six groups were told that either 70% or 90% vaccine coverage in the population would stop the spread of the new infectious disease, and they were given different reasons for implementing compulsory vaccination in the fictional pandemic situation. The different reasons included safeguarding economic stability, safeguarding the capacity of the health care system, and citizens' right to life and health.

The survey examined the respondents' views on mandatory vaccination and vaccines in the context of the fictional situation described in the introduction. Questions charted how accepting the respondents would be towards mandatory vaccination, whether they would get vaccinated regardless of whether it was mandatory, and whether they thought that vaccines were safe and a good way to fight against different infectious diseases. Additionally, the respondents were asked whether they thought people could be generally trusted and whether they trusted various institutions and bodies, such as the Finnish government, universities and research institutes, and social media. The respondents' perceptions of their own health, their willingness to get vaccinated against COVID-19, and their views on Finns' general willingness to get vaccinated against COVID-19 were also surveyed.

Background variables included the respondent's gender, mother tongue, survey language (Finnish or Swedish), age group, level of education, NUTS3 region of residence and statistical grouping of municipalities, children aged under 18 living in the household, and political interest.

Keywords

COVID-19; bacterial and virus diseases; health; transmission of disease; trust; vaccination

Topic Classification

• Social sciences (Fields of Science Classification)
• Medical and health sciences (Fields of Science Classification)
• General health and well-being (CESSDA Topic Classification)
• Medication and treatment (CESSDA Topic Classification)
• Social behaviour and attitudes (CESSDA Topic Classification)

Series

FIRIPO Citizens' Opinion

Distributor

Finnish Social Science Data Archive

Access

The dataset is (D) available only by permission from the data depositor/creator.

Data Collector

• Citizens' Opinion

Funders

• Academy of Finland (327997)
• Academy of Finland (327999)

Time Period Covered

2021

Collection Dates

2021-03-02 – 2021-03-11

Nation

Finland

Geographical Coverage

Finland

Analysis/Observation Unit Type

Individual

Universe

People aged over 18 residing in Finland

Time Method

Cross-section

Sampling Procedure

Mixed probability and non-probability

The data were collected using the Qualtrics platform. Most members of the citizen panel were recruited through probability sampling. Some members were recruited e.g. through social media. The sample for this study was stratified based on level of education (basic education, upper secondary education, higher (tertiary) education). The invitation to respond to the survey was sent to 1,721 panel members.

Collection Mode

Self-administered questionnaire: Web-based (CAWI)

Field/Intervention experiment

Research Instrument

Structured questionnaire

Data File Language

Downloaded data package may contain different language versions of the same files.

The data files of this dataset are available in the following languages: Finnish and English.

FSD translates quantitative data into English on request, free of charge. More information on ordering data translation.

Number of Cases and Variables

44 variables and 1176 cases.

Data Version

1.0

Weighting

The data contain a weight variable (WeightALL), which is a raking weight formed based on gender, mother tongue, level of education (basic education, upper secondary education, higher (tertiary) education), age group, and NUTS3 region of residence. The weight variable weights the data to be representative of target population distributions. The weighting was restricted so that the weight of one unit does not exceed 5.

Citation Requirement

The data and its creators shall be cited in all publications and presentations for which the data have been used. The bibliographic citation may be in the form suggested by the archive or in the form required by the publication.

Bibliographical Citation

Finnish Research Infrastructure for Public Opinion (FIRIPO): Finnish Views on Mandatory Vaccination Survey 2021 [dataset]. Version 1.0 (2023-01-02). Finnish Social Science Data Archive [distributor]. https://urn.fi/urn:nbn:fi:fsd:T-FSD3663

Deposit Requirement

Notify FSD of all publications where you have used the data by sending the citation information to user-services.fsd@tuni.fi.

Special Terms and Conditions for Access

The dataset is (B) available for research, teaching and study.

Disclaimer

The original data creators and the archive bear no responsibility for any results or interpretations arising from the reuse of the data.

FSD has not been informed of any publications related to the data.