Most Canadians Are Pro-Vaccination

The latest public opinion survey from the Angus Reid Institute finds the vast majority of Canadians (92%) say that vaccinations are effective at protecting the community from diseases. 

Moreover, 70 percent of this February 21, 2019 study’s participants say vaccinations against infectious diseases should be a requirement for children entering school. 

And while 83 percent of Canadians who participated in this survey said they would vaccinate their children without hesitation, a significant segment, about 20 percent of parents of school-age children say vaccinations should be a parent’s choice, and not mandatory. 

Additionally, this study revealed 29 percent of respondents are of the view that the science on vaccinations isn’t “quite clear.” 

Often, philosophical, religious or personal reasons are cited when parents exempt their child from vaccinations. 

For example, in 2015, 15 percent of parents told Health Canada that they believed chiropractic practices and naturopathy were viable alternatives to vaccination – something Health Canada reports as “not true”. 

This has led some observers and experts to question whether vaccinations should become mandatory.   

Some jurisdictions require proof of immunization before enrollment, but vaccines remain the choice of parents across the country. 

Vaccines have proven to be effective at minimizing the number of diseases. Smallpox has been eradicated entirely, while polio now afflicts only 500 or so individuals globally each year. 

There are difficulties, however, in controlling infectious diseases in the face of vaccination fears, such as the current, worldwide measles virus outbreak. 

The Angus Reid Institute (ARI) was founded in October 2014 by pollster and sociologist, Dr. Angus Reid. ARI is a national, not-for-profit, non-partisan public opinion research foundation established to advance education by commissioning, conducting and disseminating to the public accessible and impartial statistical data, research and policy analysis on economics, political science, philanthropy, public administration, domestic and international affairs and other socio-economic issues of importance to Canada and its world.