A new survey from the Angus Reid Institute is suggesting that half of Canadian parents are planning to inoculate their younger children, if vaccines become eligible.
There have been strong hints from public health officials and pharmaceutical companies that kids aged 5-11 will be soon eligible for COVID-19 vaccines and one-in-two parents of younger children are ready to jab their kids right away.
While half of parents say they plan to vaccinate their young, elementary school-aged children as soon as a vaccine is available to them, nearly one-quarter – fully 23 per cent – say they will not.
Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer recently submitted data suggesting its vaccine is safe for that age group and as COVID-19 cases increase in schools, some jurisdictions have begun planning for approval.
Here in British Columbia, parents are allowed to register kids for their first shot in the event approval is granted.
While approximately 15 per cent of those with children aged 5-11 living in British Columbia, Ontario, and Atlantic Canada would not vaccinate their kids, the number doubles in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Quebec, to closer to 30 per cent.
In the same survey from Angus Reid, the survey explored the idea of a third dose being made available for adults across the country.
Overall, three-in-five (62%) adults say they would take a booster shot right away if it were offered, while another one-in-five (20%) say they would get an additional dose eventually but would be in no rush.
Additionally, nearly two-in-five Canadians (37%) now say they do not ever expect Canada to return to a pre-COVID normal — double the number who felt that way last December, according to Angus Reid.
Graham Cox
