The COVID-19 pandemic led to a significant shift in parental views on vaccination, with approximately half of parents surveyed citing concerns about vaccine side effects, a government report suggests.
The report from the Public Health Agency of Canada on vaccine uptake said the pandemic “yielded a large shift in Canadians’ knowledge, attitudes and beliefs towards vaccinations.”
Half of those surveyed (50 percent) agreed with the statement: “In general I am concerned about the potential side effects from vaccines for children.” Nineteen percent said they “strongly agreed” with the statement.
The Feb. 6 report, first covered by Blacklock’s Reporter, found there has recently been a “high prevalence” of hesitancy towards both COVID-19 vaccines and regular vaccinations among certain populations. It said monitoring of parental attitudes is needed to “predict expected vaccine uptake and to guide education and awareness efforts to promote vaccination among children issued from these specific populations.”…