Australians confident in health authorities’ ability to handle the Swine Flu
25 May 2009
Australians overwhelmingly feel the country is well equipped to handle an outbreak of the Swine Flu and are at ease with the health authorities’ ability to manage a pandemic in Australia, according to a new Ipsos survey.
The survey, conducted last week by Ipsos, the third largest research company in Australia, looked at how prepared Australian health authorities were in ensuring the Australian public was informed about the facts and safety measures.
When respondents were asked whether “Australia is well prepared to handle an outbreak of Swine Flu in humans?” - only 11 per cent disagreed.
Furthermore, when presented with the statement that “Australian health authorities are keeping the public well informed about Swine Flu” – 66 per cent of respondents agreed that the information received was of a satisfactory level and only 9 per cent disagreed.
The research also revealed that Australians were well informed about the measures put in place to reduce the spread of Swine Flu in Australia.
In fact, the three highest rating responses in the research were scientifically accepted methods of infection control with -
- 95 per cent of respondents agreeing that covering coughs and sneezes would reduce the spread.
- 93 per cent agreeing that frequent hand washing is recognised as effective
- 74 per cent agreeing that wearing masks helps with infection control
Australians were also aware of the misconceptions regarding the Swine Flu. When asked whether eating certain foods could spread the disease, only 6 per cent said eating pork would have an effect and 4 per cent said eating Mexican food.
Ipsos Director of Public Affairs John Sergeant said: “The recent outbreak of Swine Flu in a number of countries has given rise to fears that a pandemic is on its way to Australian shores. Despite the cases this week, it currently seems that these fears were more contagious than Swine Flu itself.”
Overall, the research suggests that Australians are confident with health authorities’ handling of the Swine Flu scare to date, feel that the country is prepared and have an awareness of how to prevent the spread of the disease.
The Ipsos study was conducted in May 2009 and surveyed more than 729 adults nationally via fieldwork agency I-View.
For further information contact:
Ipsos Australia
T: 02 9900 5100
E: enquiries@ipsos.com
About Ipsos
Ipsos is one of the world's leading survey-based marketing research firms. Founded and run by market research professionals, Ipsos interprets, simulates, and anticipates the needs and reactions of consumers, customers and citizens – locally, nationally and around the world. Ipsos has a direct presence in more than 60 countries and conducts research in more than 100.
Supporting Tables
1: Do Australians feel informed and are we prepared to handle an outbreak of Swine Flu
2: Which measures Australians perceive that could reduce the spread of Swine Flu
