Canadians appear to be more hesitant about vaccinating their children, according to recent polling.
A recent Angus Reid poll found that 17% of parents of minors polled said they're “really against” vaccinating their kids, a four-fold increase from 2019. Over the past five years, there's also been a significant decrease of those who support mandatory vaccinations in schools, from 70% in 2019 to 55% in 2024.
Fifty-two percent of parents with children younger than 18 said it should ultimately be up to the parents to decide whether or not to vaccinate their kids.
The issue of vaccination hit a fever-pitch through the COVID-19 pandemic, but skepticism around the COVID-19 vaccine appears to have bled over into vaccines in general.
Earlier this month, public health officials warned of potential measles outbreaks in Alberta, given declining vaccination rates. Alberta has also seen an outbreak of whooping cough in the province, a disease that’s preventable by vaccination.
In the recent poll, 71% of respondents said they believe the growing anti-vax movement will lead to “a lot of people getting sick unnecessarily.”
Angus Reid polled 1,626 Canadian adults from Feb. 16-19, 2024.
