Vaccine Hesitancy, Canada

By: Maya Kabasawa

As of right now, vaccination is the most efficient way to control the covid breakout in the community especially in schools. Canada is urging its people to get vaccinated before the start of the school year. Postsecondary institutions are implementing a fully vaccinated policy, as well as public spaces will require proof of vaccination to use the facilities. While Canada is ahead of most of the countries in terms of vaccination rates, still nearly 18% of eligible Canadians have not gotten their first dose yet.

As an international student studying in Canada, people in my home country are far left behind from Canada in terms of vaccination rates. Most of my friends and family are not fully vaccinated, while most high school students in Canada are. In fact, 68% of eligible people are fully vaccinated in Canada, but for countries like the US, the rate is 53%, Japan, 47%, and Brazil, 30%. These statistics show that Canada is ahead of the rest of the countries and managing to make vaccines available for everyone. However, there has to be more effort put in order to get everybody in the loop. 

The unvaccinated include not only people who do not support vaccines in general. It also includes those worried about the efficacy and safety of the vaccines, or concerned about how it might interfere with their present health conditions. 

It is important not to force those who are hesitant to get vaccinated, but rather ask their concerns and truly understand the reason behind it. Social media can spread misleading information that can mislead the public into being wary about getting vaccines. Having the ability to critically distinguish trustworthy sources of information can be the solution to increasing vaccination rates.

Works Cited

Mauracher, Jamie, and Leslie Young. “How to Reach the Vaccine-Hesitant: WHAT EXPERTS, Reluctant Canadians Say – National.” Global News, Global News, 12 Aug. 2021, globalnews.ca/news/8104752/vaccine-hestitancy-canada-changing-minds/ . 

Holder, Josh. “Tracking Coronavirus VACCINATIONS around the World.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 29 Jan. 2021, www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/world/covid-vaccinations-tracker.html.