More Canadians now willing to be vaccinated
VANCOUVER — As the COVID-19 vaccine continues to to be administered across the country, the number of Canadians now eager and willing to be vaccinated has surged in a few short weeks.
According to the latest Angus Reid poll, the percentage of Canadians who have changed their stance from being cautious about the new vaccine to “enthusiastic compliance” has jumped 12 percentage points, with 60 per cent of respondents now saying they're ready for their jab.
In British Columbia, a total of 61 per cent of respondents said they'd agree to inoculation ASAP, while 28 per cent said they would eventually. The remaining 11 per cent either said no or that they weren't sure about vaccination.
But while Canadians are more willing, the vaccine is not necessarily more accessible, as health officials continue to focus on administering the vaccine to health care workers and long-term care residents.
The timeline of tackling priority groups first has meant that many have turned their criticism to the speed and effectiveness with which their province is rolling out the vaccine.
Just three per cent of British Columbians believe they'll get the vaccine within the next month, while 13 per cent think they'll have to wait one to three months. The majority of B.C. residents think they'll have to wait four to six months (37 per cent) or seven to nine months (31 per cent).
But more than half of British Columbians (51 per cent) still say B.C. health officials are doing a good or very good job of distributing the vaccine, while only 21 per cent say the rollout needs to be improved.
Manitoba and Ontario respondents, however, are most dissatisfied with the vaccine rollout in their province, with 51 and 54 per cent respectively saying their officials are doing a bad or very bad job of administering the vaccine.
And once the vaccine is available to them, Canadians don't seem picky about where they get their shot either. While 90 per cent say they'd visit a doctor's office or walkin clinic, 78 per cent also said they'd visit a pharmacy, 64 per cent say they'd agree to a shot at a drive-thru vaccination site, and 43 per cent wouldn't mind getting the shot at their place of employment.