Canadians’ confidence in vaccines a key priority heading into fall: Tam
OTTAWA -- Canada’s top doctor says increasing awareness of the reliability of vaccination not only against the fast-approaching seasonal flu but also COVID-19 is a top priority for her team moving forward.
Dr. Theresa Tam was responding to a new survey by Statistics Canada that shows about one in seven Canadians are either somewhat unlikely or very unlikely to get the COVID-19 vaccine when it’s made available. “Every concern is a valid concern and we do need to address them in more detail, especially as we are working very hard in the provision of a safe and effective vaccine or vaccines for Canadians,” she told reporters in Ottawa on Tuesday. Tam said enhancing vaccine confidence is a key pillar of her team’s fall planning process and more information is needed to better understand Canadians’ reluctance to immunization.
“I think it’s important to recognize that we do need more information on who this group is, whether a heterogeneous group or it could be very specific populations in Canada, which needs specific engagement on this front.” Tam and Deputy Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Howard Njoo warned against misinformation about vaccine safety online and explained why social media giants have a role to play in sharing trusted material.
“This is the first pandemic in the age of the
Internet and social media. This is an area of significant work because we have an overload of information through which many Canadians can’t sort out what is credible and what is not,” she said.
“I look towards different partners, government departments coming together to look at how we better address some of the myths and misinformation that is in that space. I think fundamentally it’s a massive challenge.” The Statistics Canada report also shows that nearly 58 per cent of respondents said that they were very likely to get the COVID-19 vaccine, a majority being 65 and older. Those who indicated vaccine hesitancy listed a lack of confidence in the safety of the vaccine and concerns about risks and side effects as the two major factors for their response. The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), in consultation with the Canadian Immunization Committee and the National Advisory Committee on Immunization, just recently published a fact sheet about how COVID-19 would impact the distribution of the seasonal influenza vaccine.
It lists a series of potential hurdles such as a lack of available health-care workers to administer the flu shot, concerns around enhanced exposure to COVID-19 for Canadians entering into health-care facilities, and limited access to personal protective equipment. Among the solutions, PHAC suggests administering vaccines in non-traditional health-care settings such as pharmacies, congregate living facilities, and workplaces; holding extended clinic hours to avoid crowding; and enforcing mandatory screening, masks, and physical distancing.
“The seasonal influenza immunization campaign provides an opportunity to develop and practice approaches that may be used for the anticipated COVID-19 immunization program and to ensure consideration of the diverse needs of population groups,” reads the PHAC website.