Less than half of Canadians say they would immediately get vaccinated once a COVID-19 treatment is widely available, according to a new poll.
A study by the Angus Reid Institute found that just 39% of Canadians say they’d immediately seek out a COVID-19 vaccine, while another 38% said they would seek out the vaccine, but not right away.
"A number of factors help explain why Canadians are voicing more hesitancy towards COVID-19 vaccination," said the Angus Reid Institute in releasing its latest data. "One of the most prevalent concerns centres on potential side effects … This is precisely what large-scale controlled trials are designed to study and identify, before the vaccine goes out for mass distribution."
The data marks a downturn nearly nationwide from a similar poll conducted by the Angus Reid in late July. Every province, except Saskatchewan, saw fewer respondents willing to immediately get vaccinated, led by a 13% drop in Alberta.
Of those who said they would immediately seek out a vaccine, 41% of respondents said they would be worried about potential side effects. The data was compiled via an online survey that the institute ran from September 23-25, 2020 among a sampling of 1,660 members of the Angus Reid Forum.
