Canadians are becoming less supportive of the idea of mandatory coronavirus vaccinations according to a new poll by Ipsos.
The poll found that 59% support mandatory vaccinations as of late November, a decline of 13% from Ipsos’ last survey in May.
The poll also showed that 71% are nervous about taking a vaccination approved so quickly, with 69% concerned about long term health effects which have not been studied.
“We know when we start going through the concerns that people have, they’re very worried about anything that has been rushed or they might perceive has been rushed. They’re very worried about anything that might have side effects associated with it,” Ipsos Public Affairs CEO Darell Bricker.
“They haven’t heard enough reassurance, I would say, to convince them that the concerns that they have are being dealt with appropriately or validly. And as a result of that, what we do is we end up in a situation where the more time goes on, the more worried we get.”
In October, a similar poll by Leger found that only 39% of Canadians support mandatory vaccinations, a decline of 18% from a poll conducted in July.
As vaccines are set to become available in early 2021, countries and businesses have been considering the idea of making it mandatory if people wish for life to return to normal.
On Monday, Ireland became one of the first countries to state that the coronavirus vaccine will not be mandatory for all citizens.
Qantas Airlines of Australia has made it clear that passengers in the future will have to show proof they have been vaccinated in order to fly internationally.
Last week, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney said the province will not make vaccines mandatory. Kenney suggested that he will be amending the Public Health Act to take away cabinet’s power to force vaccinations.
