There’s been a four-fold increase in parents of minors who say they’re “really against” vaccinating their kids, reveals a new study from the Angus Reid Institute.
One-in-six parents of minors, or 17%, are against all vaccines for their children following the COVID-19 pandemic.
There’s also been a 15-point decrease in the number of Canadians who support mandatory childhood vaccination in schools. That policy, in place in Ontario and New Brunswick, has support from 55% of Canadians.
Opposition to mandatory childhood vaccination in schools has risen from 24% to 38%.
Another 71% of Canadians feel the anti-vaccination movement is going to lead to unnecessary illness and suffering in the population, the survey found.
Earlier this week, 17 cases of measles were confirmed across Quebec, Ontario, Saskatchewan and British Columbia. More than half the cases were in the Montreal area. Of those, just three were linked to travel outside of the country, meaning community spread was occurring.
One case in Ontario was linked to a high school, resulting in a public health notification to 1,500 students and 150 staff notifying them of measles exposure.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said the province had one case of measles in November and it was imported, meaning someone was infected outside the province and carried it in.
“We’re very pleased to see that we haven’t had some of the same issues that we’ve heard about in other provinces,” she said in an unrelated press conference Thursday.
Smith said the number of families opting for the MMR vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps, and rubella, has dropped about seven points to 72%. The drop is “concerning.” she said.
“We want to make sure that people understand that this is available and that we hope that they look at the risks because the risk of consequences for measles can be very, very high.”
Health Minister Adriana LaGrange’s office also warned that measles can have very serious effects for children that become infected.
“Alberta’s government encourages all parents to confirm if their child has been immunized and to speak with their primary care provider if they have any questions or concerns about immunizations.”
