1. Ireland ranks significantly higher than both the global and European average for willingness to take approved mRNA or traditional vaccines.
2. Trust in traditional vaccinations is stronger than mRNA, with a significantly higher proportion claiming they would definitely take a traditional vaccination over mRNA vaccines (40% vs 25%).
3. However, 1 in 4 adults in Ireland claim they would not be likely to take mRNA vaccines, while 1 in 5 would not take traditional vaccines, suggesting there is job to do for government to better educate people.
4. Parents of dependent children and those in lower social grades are amongst the least accepting of both traditional and mRNA vaccines, suggesting the need to raise awareness and tackle roots of distrust among these groups in particular.
5. Ireland is also less uncomfortable with innovative medicines than most other nations, though shows higher levels of uncertainty, highlighting the need for both awareness and education.
6. Ireland is ahead of the European average in in terms of comfort towards innovative medicines, such as those that directly interact with cell components to protect against disease (55% vs 46%) or personalised medicine based on genetic traits (55% vs 50%).
7. Irish people are however less comfortable, with medicines that interact with DNA to protect the body from disease, but are in line with the global average.

The Worldwide Independent Network of MR (WIN), the leading global association of independent market research and polling firms, has released its Worldviews Survey. This year’s survey captures the perspectives and beliefs of 33,919 individuals across 38 countries, with RED C conducting the research among a representative survey of 1000 adults in Ireland. WIN’s and RED C’s latest findings shed light on acceptance of both traditional and mRNA vaccines and comfort levels towards innovative medicine. 

HEADLINES – IRELAND

A new report from RED C and the WIN Network demonstrates Ireland openness to vaccination uptake, but further highlights the need to educate some groupings as to their safety and effectiveness

The findings show that Ireland is ahead of most countries in terms of vaccine acceptance and levels of comfort towards the innovative medical interventions, though there is a sizeable minority who remain sceptical or uncertain.

The report also highlights the challenge of health organisations to both raise awareness and educate populations in both the safety & effectiveness of vaccines & biomedicines, as well as addressing the root causes of doubts.

Ireland is more accepting of mRNA vaccines, ranking 10th amongst 38 countries participating

The RED C / WIN report shows that 67% of Irish adults are open to taking approved mRNA vaccinations, which is significantly higher than the global and European average (both 60%).

Acceptance of mRNA vaccines is higher within the Irish population amongst men (72%), Dubliners (73%), those with a third level education (71%) and those in higher socio-economic grades (75%). Parents of dependent children, and the associated 35-54 age break are the least accepting of mRNA vaccines (57%).

Globally, traditional vaccine acceptance is higher than the new mRNA (68% accept vs. 60%), while for Ireland a similar gap exists, though with a higher baseline (73% vs 67%).

Traditional Vaccines are accepted more than mRNA, though full uptake is far from guaranteed

The report shows that while Ireland has significantly higher acceptance of traditional vaccines than the global picture (IE 73% vs global 68%), the proportion of rejectors is in line with the global view (21% vs 23%) with a further 6% uncertain.

As with the mRNA vaccine, parents of dep kids, those in lower socioeconomic grades and those in lower social grades are more likely to reject approved traditional vaccines.

Strong acceptance (“definitely would take”) is significantly higher for the longer established traditional vaccines than mRNA (40% vs 25% respectively), indicating that traditional vaccines are potentially more likely to have uptake in future global medical events.

Irish people are moderately comfortable with biomedical innovations for treatment

When asked about comfort levels towards new biomedical innovations, Ireland is either higher, or in line with the global average, depending on the type of medicine.

Irish people are significantly more comfortable with personalised medicine based on generic traits (55% comfortable vs 51% global), but not statistically different in terms of comfort levels for medicines that alter DNA (46% vs. 47% global) or medicines that directly interact with cell components (55% vs 52% global).

There are however high levels of uncertainty (approx. 3 in 10) or discomfort (approx. 2 in 10) towards these new types of medicines. With women, C2DEs and parents less likely to feel comfortably taking making use of the medicines.

John Rogers, Associate Director at RED C Research, said:

“These findings are largely positive and show the strong levels immunisation acceptance in the population of Ireland, driven perhaps by our highly educated population and being a global leader in pharmaceuticals. As with other countries, a challenge for medical professionals and health boards is to address the concerns many have with approved vaccines, in addition to tried and tested medical innovations. Given the high levels of conspiracy theories and miss-information relating to vaccines, particularly involving those that cause negative effects in children, it’s concerning to see the vaccine acceptance and trust of innovative medicines in lower amongst Irish parents.”

HEADLINES WORLD

The Worldwide Independent Network of MR (WIN), the leading global association of independent market research and polling firms, has released new findings from its Worldviews Survey. This year’s survey captures the perspective and beliefs of 33,913 individuals across 38 countries. The latest findings shed light on global hesitation towards new biomedical innovations, like mRNA, while some uncertainty even with traditional vaccines persists. Tracking trends over six years, WIN has assessed and provided valuable insights into global progress.

The summary of the findings is as follows:

1. mRNA vaccine acceptance still lags behind traditional vaccines
   mRNA is a type of genetic information that everyone has. When used in medicine or vaccines, mRNA delivers instructions to our genes (DNA) to make specific proteins that enable our body to recognise and fight off viruses if it encounters them in the future. On the other side, traditional vaccines use an inactive or weakened virus to build immunity.Globally, 68% of people are willing to accept new developments of traditional vaccines. However, while still substantial, acceptance for mRNA vaccines drops to 60%, revealing a clear global preference for traditional approaches. While traditional vaccine acceptance remains fairly consistent across age groups, women over 35 show noticeably lower acceptance for both types.As expected, demographic and regional factors influence attitudes towards mRNA vaccines. Younger people, those over 65, and those with higher education tend to be more open to mRNA innovation. For example, 70% of master’s or PhD graduates would ‘definitely’ take a newly approved mRNA vaccine, whereas only 51% of those with little to no basic education would.Acceptance also varies significantly by country. The preference for traditional vaccines over mRNA ones is most pronounced in Paraguay at a 20% gap, followed by Croatia (17%), and the Serbia (15%). However, China and India challenge this pattern: mRNA vaccines are preferred – with China leading globally at 86% acceptance.

   Professor Heidi J. Larson, PhD.; Founder and Director of the Vaccine Confidence Project, and Professor of Anthropology, Risk and Decision Science at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, says:

   “In general, publics tend to hesitate when new vaccines are introduced, especially those made in new ways (i.e. the Covid-19 vaccine was the first vaccine aver to use an mRNA approach). The perceptions of mRNA and future RNA related vaccines and medicines should be monitored over time as people become more familiar with this new approach to making vaccines and medicines, but at the same time, risk seeing more misinformation.”

2. Discomfort remains for biomedical innovations, but varies country by country
   When asked about their comfort with new biomedical innovations, global responses were moderate: 52% with personalized medicine, 51% felt comfortable with cell-interacting medicines and 47% with DNA-interacting medicines. However, 30% of the global population responded ‘I don’t know’ for each – highlighting a significant gap in public understanding and a clear opportunity for better public education and communication.More than just public education, the numbers suggest that the language used to describe these innovations impacts comfort levels. This underscores the importance of using clear, accessible, and carefully considered terminology when explaining how new health technologies work.Regionally, the APAC region leads in comfort levels, followed by the Americas, then Europe and the MENA region expressing most discomfort. Notably, China ranks highest in comfort levels for personalized medicine (76%), DNA-interacting (73%), and cell-interacting (76%) medicines. In contrast, Japan appears amongst the least comfortable countries, with just 37%, 32%, 35% comfort levels for each type, respectively.Younger people (18-24) are more open to biomedical innovations, while those over 65 show the highest uncertainty, reaching 4 out of 10 individuals. As with mRNA vaccine acceptance, those with higher education correlates with greater comfort, reinforcing the influence of both regional and socioeconomic factors in shaping public trust in biotechnology.
3. Traditional vaccination acceptance cannot be assumed
   Despite decades of public health success, a notable minority still reject traditional vaccines (23%). Turkey leads with a 61% unwilling to take them, followed by Indonesia (46%), Slovakia (34%), Japan (33%), and Poland (31%). With nearly one-third of people globally either reject or are unsure about traditional vaccines – this is not a marginal group.The research highlights key patterns: rejection is more likely amongst those with lower education 43%, compared to just 24% of master’s or PhD graduates. Women also show greater hesitancy, with 33% saying they would not or are uncertain. These findings underscore that trust in traditional vaccination cannot be taken for granted – continuous, targeted communication is essential to build and sustain public confidence.
4. Moving forwards in a world with cautious optimism
   The Worldviews Survey paints a picture of cautious optimism toward biomedical technology. While many are open to innovations like mRNA vaccines, hesitancy – especially around traditional vaccines – remains a pressing concern. These insights offer a clear call to action: rebuild trust in traditional vaccines where it’s eroding, communicate clearly to address uncertainty, and prioritise engagement with women, older adults, and those with less education. Crucially, efforts must also be tailored to the cultural context of each region.Only by addressing the root causes of vaccine and medicine doubt can we fully realise the global potential of immunisation.

Richard Colwell, President of WIN International Association, said:

“This year’s findings highlight a world cautiously stepping into a new era of medicine. While innovation is gaining ground, WIN hopes that the findings from Worldviews Survey reminds us that trust cannot be taken for granted. Rebuilding confidence in traditional vaccines and fostering understanding of new technologies must be global health priorities.”

ENDS-

Media enquiries:

IRELAND DATA

John Rogers, Associate Director, RED C Research

Derek Bell, Associate Director, RED C Research

+35318186316

[email protected]

WORLDWIDE DATA

Elena Crosilla, WIN Coordinator

+39 335.62.07.347

E-mail: [email protected]

NOTES FOR EDITORS

Methodology:

The survey was conducted in 39 countries using CAWI / CATI / F2F/ TAPI /online survey methods.

Sample Size and Mode of Field Work:

A total of 33,919 people were interviewed. See below for sample details. The fieldwork was conducted in December 2024, January 2025 and February 2025. The margin of error for the survey is between 4.4 and 2.5 at 95% confidence level.

In Ireland the fieldwork was conducted by RED C Research, who polled a representative sample of 1000 adults aged 18+ online in January 2025.  The margin for error for the survey in Ireland is + or -3%

The global average has been computed according to the covered adult population of the surveyed countries.

About WIN:

The Worldwide Independent Network of Market Research (WIN) is a global network conducting market research and opinion polls in every continent.

Our assets

• Thought leadership: access to a group of the most prominent experts and business entrepreneurs in Market Research, Polling and Consultancy
• Flexibility: tailor-made global and local solutions to meet clients’ needs
• Innovation: access to the latest strategic consultancy, tool development and branded solutions
• Local experts: access to a network of experts that truly understand the local culture, market and business needs.
• Trust: highest quality of talented members in all countries covered

 In the years, WIN has demonstrated wide competences and ability to conduct multi-country surveys following the highest standards requested by the market. The accumulated expertise of the Association is formidable: among others, researched themes are gender equality and young people, communication and media research, and brand studies.

About RED C Research:

RED C Research is a premier provider of research-based consultancy services, with offices in Dublin and London. The company has been providing high quality research, insight and polling-based consultancy services to business, communities and government both nationally and internationally for over twenty years.  RED C helps brands to grow by helping business to clearly understanding human needs and behaviour.   Founded in Dublin in 2003, it now has more than 85 staff, with revenues that place it in the top 125 market research companies globally.  The company is part of the Business Post Group house of brands, delivering insight through data, journalism, analysis and storytelling.

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