Older and younger New Zealanders are at odds over the decision to remove vaccine mandates, according to a new poll. 

Research New Zealand, a privately-owned social and business research organisation, found there were almost double the number of older respondents - aged 55 and above – unhappy with the decision compared to younger respondents – those aged 18 to 34. 

Last week, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced the end of vaccine mandates for education, police and Defence Force workers from 11.59pm tomorrow. 

They would still be required in health and aged care, Corrections and border workforces. 

Ardern's announcement included the scrapping of vaccine passes and an increase in the number of people able to gather indoors from 100 to 200. 

Research New Zealand surveyed 1001 Kiwis following the March 23 announcement on vaccine mandates, using a five-point "happiness" scale that ranged from very happy, happy, neutral, unhappy to very unhappy. 

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced vaccine mandates would be removed from Monday. Photo / Mark Mitchell 

The largest proportion of respondents were neutral at 36 per cent. The same per cent were either happy or very happy, while 27 per cent were either unhappy or very unhappy. 

Broken down by age, researchers found 36 per cent of people 55 and older were unhappy/very unhappy about removing mandates, while just 20 per cent of people 18-34 felt the same. 

Conversely, 44 per cent of 18 to 34-year-olds were happy/very happy with the decision. Only 28 per cent of people 55 and older held a similar position. 

It was a shift from an earlier Research New Zealand poll, completed in mid-February, that found 18 to 34-year-olds were in fact more likely than older people to change their social behaviours in response to the Omicron wave. 

Respondents to the March poll were also presented with a list of seven possible positive and negative reasons to explain their views. 

Of those in favour, 63 per cent liked the move as it represented a return to normal life. 

Fifty-six per cent thought the change would be good for the economy as businesses had suffered due to the mandates. 

Many people across different workforces have needed to be vaccinated to continue working. Photo / Brett Phibbs 

Of those not in favour, 76 per cent of people said they would have preferred to see the mandates continue until Covid cases were lower. 

On March 23 when Ardern made her announcement, New Zealand had reported 20,087 new daily community cases, 960 hospitalisations and 11 deaths. 

Yesterday, 11,593 new community cases were reported, (updated from the initially reported 11,560 cases), alongside 678 hospitalisations. The 23 reported deaths included people who have died over the past five days. 

Sixty-eight per cent of respondents were worried fewer mandates would mean vulnerable people – the elderly and children – would be more at risk of catching Omicron. 

The poll didn't perform an extensive analysis by region but did find Auckland respondents were significantly less likely to state they were "very happy" with the lifting of the mandates than respondents in other regions – 13 per cent and 20 per cent respectively. 

Research New Zealand managing partner Emanuel Kalafatelis found it interesting that younger people were more positive about the decision in light of the February poll. 

"It was not that long ago that we were identifying this group as the group who were pulling back on going out and curtailing other behaviours because they were concerned with the impending Omicron wave," he said. 

Nevertheless, Kalafatelis said the poll indicated there was clear division across the country on the issue. 

"Overall, the jury is still out about the lifting of the mandates and only time will tell 
whether this has been a good or bad move."