"The anti-vaccine movement is going to lead to a lot of people getting sick unnecessarily”

According to a new study by Angus Reid Institute, 7 in 10 Canadians (71%) believe the anti-vaccine movement is going to lead to a lot of people getting unnecessarily sick.

The study found agreement among all age groups that the anti-vax movement will lead to unnecessary illness and suffering in the population.

“Public health officials are warning of the potential of measles outbreaks in Canada as rates of vaccination against that disease decline. Alberta has seen an outbreak of whooping cough in the province, a disease that’s preventable by vaccination. However, only 30% or 40% of children are vaccinated against that disease in some places of the province.”

Seven-in-ten Canadians believe the anti-vaccine movement is going to result in people getting sick unnecessarily.https://t.co/X4xfLeS7hb pic.twitter.com/hmXkeCXUF5
— Angus Reid Institute (@angusreidorg) February 28, 2024

“The anti-vaccine movement is going to lead to a lot of people getting sick unnecessarily”

According to ARI’s vaccine acceptance index, those who are anti-vax “overwhelmingly feel that vaccination is harmful and unnecessary, that the science isn’t settled, and that the body does not need vaccination to build up immunity to these illnesses.”

The study found that Quebec has the highest percentage of Anti-Vax in Canada (15%), as well as the highest percentage of Vax Skeptics (31%) — those who are skeptical about vaccination but not dismissive.

The most pro-vaccine province in Canada is British Columbia, where 35% are categorized as Vax Proponents — who are largely supportive of vaccines but have some reservations — and 36% are considered Max Vaxxers — “those who feel vaccines are ‘very effective’ at ensuring better outcomes for both the individual and the community, who support mandatory vaccination for children, and who are not concerned about the potential for ‘significant’ side effects.” (For the complete table of results, please see page 10 in the report here.)

The Angus Reid Institute conducted an online survey from Feb. 16 to 19, 2024 among a representative randomized sample of 1,626 Canadian adults who are members of the Angus Reid Forum.

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