More than eight in 10 Canadian parents passed on COVID-19 shots for their kids over the past year, as vaccine reluctance lingers years after pandemic-era mandates and campaigns.
A Public Health Agency of Canada survey obtained by Blacklock’s Reporter found 82 per cent of parents said their child had not received a COVID vaccine during the previous year.
Uptake was lowest in Quebec at just 12 per cent, while British Columbia recorded the highest rate at 29 per cent.
When asked why their children were not vaccinated, parents most commonly said the shot was unnecessary. Another 25% cited concerns about side effects.
The findings were based on questionnaires completed by 12,211 parents nationwide for the agency’s Childhood Seasonal Immunization Coverage Survey.
“Monitoring vaccine coverage on a regular basis helps improve vaccination programs and helps public health understand how well people are protected from various vaccine-preventable diseases,” the report said.
Uptake stood at 13 per cent in New Brunswick, 17 per cent in Ontario, 18 per cent in Alberta and Newfoundland and Labrador, 20 per cent in Prince Edward Island, 21 per cent in Nova Scotia, 26 per cent in Manitoba and 27 per cent in Saskatchewan.
