Two-thirds of Toronto parents ‘certain or somewhat likely’ to get young kids vaccinated against COVID-19, survey says
Almost all have already decided not to vaccinate against COVID-19, according to a new survey.
In the first such public poll of parents on the issue, the Grits, an anti-vaccine group, found that 59 percent of respondents said they aren’t going to be vaccinated.
That’s up from 56 percent in last week’s poll, which was done a month ago.
Grits vice-president Mike DeLuca said that’s a far cry from Toronto City Council’s motion calling for a temporary ban on non-essential vaccine exemptions.
“This means that the majority of Toronto parents are absolutely opposed to children receiving any kind of immunization. This is the most alarming trend we’ve ever seen in our survey because the number of parents who choose not to vaccinate their kids has increased by over 20 per cent,” DeLuca told Metro Morning.
The most common reasons parents give for not vaccinating are “not fully informed” and “fear of vaccines”.
“Parents are being informed, but they are being told by their doctors and the media that it doesn’t matter if they are informed,” said DeLuca.
“The vaccine is not about the child; it is about the doctor; it is about the media; it is about government.”
Grits president Sarah-Joyce Rigg told Metro Morning that the organization’s numbers aren’t bad when you consider how many parents are opting to go against their religious beliefs. She said she wasn’t surprised by the high numbers in this survey as most anti-vax parents are “more involved than parents who are not.”
“What surprised us is just how big of a deal this is,” Rigg said. “There is definitely a big divide here that is not being talked about.”
Rigg said Grits is open to hearing suggestions on how to tackle the issue — for example, by making it mandatory vaccinations for all children.