Large majority of Canadians agree childhood vaccinations should be mandatory

According to a study by the Angus Reid Institute, a large majority of Canadians agree that childhood vaccinations should be mandatory. The study comes in the wake of measles outbreaks across the country, with the vast majority of cases occurring in Alberta and Ontario.

7 in 10 Canadians (69%) believe vaccinations should be mandatory for children to attend school, while 25% believe it should be the parents’ choice.

“Experts have called for vaccines to be mandatory in the face of low vaccination rates, specifically for measles. Dr. Jim Kellner, an infectious disease expert, told the CBC in 2019 that the ‘persistence of low levels of immunizations’ made Canada ‘at risk for having a significant outbreak.’ With the recent measles outbreak making headlines, the proportion of Canadians who support mandatory childhood vaccination has rebounded to pre-pandemic levels.”

The Angus Reid Institute conducted an online survey from May 20 to 23, 2025, among a randomized sample of 1,685 Canadian adults who are members of Angus Reid Forum.

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