Despite hesitancy, most Canadians want vaccine
VANCOUVER — The majority of Canadians say they will or are likely to get a COVID-19 vaccine, but a sizeable minority say they don’t intend or aren’t likely to roll up their sleeves, according to a new Insights West survey.
Nearly one in four Canadians expressed some degree of vaccine hesitancy, found the nationwide poll, with concerns ranging from the side effects of the vaccines to a belief vaccines are not effective and COVID-19 isn’t a serious disease.
When asked how likely they are to get the COVID19 vaccine once it’s available to them, 43 per cent of respondents expressed certainty they will get the vaccine, with 23 per cent saying they’re very likely or somewhat likely to go for it.
About nine per cent said they were very unlikely or somewhat unlikely to get the vaccine, with another five per cent saying they will definitely skip the vaccine once it’s offered to them.
Roughly half of respondents say they are concerned about the short-term (50 per cent) and long-term (56 per cent) side effects of the vaccines. About 49 per cent feel the development of the vaccines were too rushed, while 38 per cent say big pharma is trying to profit from the vaccines.
Despite messaging from health officials, medical professionals and politicians about the safety of vaccines, 35 per cent say they don’t trust information about the vaccines. That mistrust is highest among those who said they’re unlikely to get vaccinated (87 per cent), but was also expressed by 16 per cent of people who have already received or plan to get a vaccine.
One in four say they were skeptical of the vaccine’s effectiveness, while 15 per cent say they don’t trust any type of vaccine. Nearly one in five of respondents say COVID-19 is not a serious disease.
Steve Mossop, president of Insights West, said he was surprised to see the amount of uncertainty and misinformation about the effectiveness and safety of COVID-19 vaccines.
“These misconceptions are not held among a small, fringe segment of our society, but a rather significant minority, potentially threatening the efforts of health authorities across this nation in fighting the pandemic,” he said.
“Experts have said we need to reach a threshold of 80 per cent vaccinations to beat this virus, and the current polling numbers suggest this will be a challenge.”
The survey found British Columbians are more likely than other Canadians (54 per cent) to say they will get the vaccine.
Younger people, particularly in the 35 to 54 age cohorts, are more likely to be vaccine-hesitant, as are federal conservative voters.
The poll also provided some insight on what drives Canadians to get their shots.
Among those who have taken the vaccine or plan to get it, 87 per cent “strongly agreed” they are doing it because it’s the right thing to do for society. About 82 per cent say they’re doing it so they can see family and friends safely, and 75 per cent say getting themselves vaccinated is the best way to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
Over half of people in this group had hesitations about the vaccine, but were or are planning to get the vaccine anyway.
The survey was conducted online from March 31 to April 5, 2021 among a sample of 1,603 residents across Canada who are part of Insights West’s feedback community and Leger Opinion’s online panel. The margin of error with the total sample is plus or minus 2.4 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.