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CBC
5 days ago
- General
- CBC
Should childhood vaccinations be mandatory? Almost 70% of Canadians think so, according to a new poll
Social Sharing Measles cases are surging across Canada, so it might not come as a surprise that nearly 70 per cent of Canadians surveyed recently agreed that childhood vaccinations should be mandatory. The Angus Reid Institute polled nearly 1,700 Canadian adults online between May 20 and May. 23, asking them if proof of immunization should be required for kids to attend daycare or schools. Sixty-nine per cent said yes — an increase from last year, when only 55 per cent of respondents agreed that vaccinations should be mandatory for kids. Maxwell Smith, a bioethicist and associate professor at Western University's School of Health Studies, says the figure suggests mandating childhood vaccinations is not as divisive as once thought. "Given what we just experienced with COVID and controversies around vaccine mandates, I think this is why this figure is quite striking," he said. Canada is in the midst of the worst measles outbreak since the virus was declared eliminated back in 1998. Ontario remains the heart of the outbreak: Public Health Ontario said 1,938 people have gotten sick with measles so far in 2025. Smith says those numbers may have changed peoples' minds. "In these circumstances, where you have an unprecedented measles outbreak and you have the lives of children on the line, sometimes, that's the tipping point," he said. In Ontario and New Brunswick, proof of vaccination is already required for children to attend school. But parents can get an exemption in both provinces for medical, religious or philosophical reasons, as long as they fill out a form. In Ontario, they also have to watch a vaccine education video. Parents who sign an exemption must also agree to pull their kids out of school or daycare if there is an outbreak of a vaccine-preventable disease. When asked if the government should rethink this policy as measles burns through pockets of unvaccinated communities, Premier Doug Ford said he can't make parents vaccinate their children. "How do you force someone? Do you grab their kid and start jabbing them with a needle?" he told reporters earlier this month. The Angus Reid poll also asked respondents how confident they were that their provincial governments could handle a measles outbreak. It found that 27 per cent of those surveyed in Ontario said they had no confidence at all. Respondents in Alberta had even less trust: 37 per cent of respondents said they had no confidence in their province's ability to respond to a measles outbreak — even as cases continue to climb in that province. So far this year, 628 Albertans have been diagnosed with measles. The survey only polled people in the 10 provinces and did not cover Nunavut, Northwest Territories or Yukon. Online surveys cannot be assigned a margin of error because they do not randomly sample the population, but a randomized sample of the size of the Angus Reid poll would yield a margin of error of +/- 2 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. WATCH | What you should know about measles: Measles: Understanding the most contagious preventable disease | About That 1 year ago Duration 10:16 There are early signals that measles — one of the world's most contagious but preventable diseases — may be spreading in parts of Canada. Andrew Chang breaks down the way the virus attacks the body and what makes it so contagious.
CTV News
5 days ago
- General
- CTV News
Number of measles cases in Manitoba climbs to 72
A dose of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine awaits the next patient during a vaccine clinic in St. Thomas, Ont. on Tuesday, March 4, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Geoff Robins Manitoba is reporting a dozen more cases of measles in the province, as a new report shows that most Manitobans have some confidence the government can handle an outbreak. Provincial data as of May 24, 2025, shows there have been 72 confirmed cases of measles since February – an increase of 12 cases since the previous update on May 17. The numbers also show there were 53 confirmed cases in May alone. As for exposure locations, the province is citing McPhillips Medical Clinic on May 25 from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. and the Henderson Highway Dynacare on May 26 from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. The full list of exposure sites can be found online. According to the government, measles is a highly contagious disease characterized by a blotchy, red rash. Measles spreads through personal contact with an infected individual and through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. New survey shows many Manitobans confident in government A new survey out of the Angus Reid Institute shows nearly 70 per cent of Manitobans have some confidence the provincial government could handle a measles outbreak, while 21 per cent have no confidence at all. In terms of Canadians thoughts on measles and its severity, more than 80 per cent of survey respondents disagreed with the statement that 'measles isn't as bad as people think it is.' However, 10 per cent of those surveyed agreed with the sentiment. The survey also found that nearly 70 per cent of Canadians think vaccinations should be mandatory for a child to attend daycare or school, while 91 per cent of the country believes vaccines are effective for the individual being vaccinated. For the survey, Angus Reid conducted an online poll from May 20 to 23 among a sample of 1,685 Canadian adults. A probability sample of this size would carry a margin of error of plus/minus two percentages points, 19 times out of 20. The entire survey is available online.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Almost 70 per cent of Canadians surveyed want child vaccines to be mandatory: poll
A new poll suggests nearly 70 per cent of Canadians support mandatory childhood vaccinations. The Angus Reid Institute survey comes as a measles outbreak touches several provinces, primarily infecting unvaccinated infants, kids and teens. The poll of almost 1,700 Canadians found 69 per cent of respondents between May 20 and 23 said proof of immunization should be required for kids to attend daycare and school. That's an increase from the 55 per cent of respondents who said the same thing last year, before the outbreak began. Public Health Ontario says it has seen 93 new measles cases over the past week, bringing the province's total number of infections to 1,888 since October. That's compared to 173 new cases reported May 22 and 182 reported May 15. Ontario officials say measles has sent 141 people to hospital so far, including 101 unvaccinated infants, kids and teenagers, and 10 people who required intensive care. Alberta reported a cumulative total of 628 cases on Wednesday. Half of the poll respondents in Ontario and Alberta said they believed more should be done to control the outbreak at all levels of health management, from the premier to the chief medical officer of health. Proof of vaccination is mandatory for kids to attend school in Ontario and New Brunswick, unless they have a valid exemption, but that's not the case across the country. The percentage of respondents who favoured proof of vaccination was slightly lower in Alberta, at 60 per cent, but higher than the 48 per cent of Albertans who supported a mandate last year. A Canadian Journal of Public Health article published in October 2024 found approximately 76 per cent of seven-year-olds were vaccinated against measles in 2023, down from just over 86 per cent in 2019. The poll also found 37 per cent of respondents in Alberta said they had no confidence in their provincial government's response to measles, while 30 per cent said the same in Saskatchewan and 27 per cent said that in Ontario. The polling industry's professional body, the Canadian Research Insights Council, says online surveys cannot be assigned a margin of error because they do not randomly sample the population. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May, 29, 2025. Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content. Hannah Alberga, The Canadian Press
National Post
5 days ago
- Business
- National Post
Almost 70% of Canadians want child vaccines to be mandatory, survey says
A new poll suggests nearly 70 per cent of Canadians support mandatory childhood vaccinations. Article content Article content The Angus Reid Institute survey comes as a measles outbreak touches several provinces, primarily infecting unvaccinated infants, kids and teens. Article content The poll of almost 1,700 Canadians found 69 per cent of respondents between May 20 and 23 said proof of immunization should be required for kids to attend daycare and school. Article content Article content That's an increase from the 55 per cent of respondents who said the same thing last year, before the outbreak began. Article content Article content Ontario officials say measles has sent 141 people to hospital so far, including 101 unvaccinated infants, kids and teenagers, and 10 people who required intensive care. Article content Alberta reported a cumulative total of 628 cases on Wednesday. Article content Half of the poll respondents in Ontario and Alberta said they believed more should be done to control the outbreak at all levels of health management, from the premier to the chief medical officer of health. Article content Proof of vaccination is mandatory for kids to attend school in Ontario and New Brunswick, unless they have a valid exemption, but that's not the case across the country. Article content The percentage of respondents who favoured proof of vaccination was slightly lower in Alberta, at 60 per cent, but higher than the 48 per cent of Albertans who supported a mandate last year. Article content A Canadian Journal of Public Health article published in October 2024 found approximately 76 per cent of seven-year-olds were vaccinated against measles in 2023, down from just over 86 per cent in 2019. Article content Article content The poll also found 37 per cent of respondents in Alberta said they had no confidence in their provincial government's response to measles, while 30 per cent said the same in Saskatchewan and 27 per cent said that in Ontario. Article content
Vancouver Sun
5 days ago
- Health
- Vancouver Sun
Almost 70% of Canadians want child vaccines to be mandatory, survey says
A new poll suggests nearly 70 per cent of Canadians support mandatory childhood vaccinations. The Angus Reid Institute survey comes as a measles outbreak touches several provinces, primarily infecting unvaccinated infants, kids and teens. The poll of almost 1,700 Canadians found 69 per cent of respondents between May 20 and 23 said proof of immunization should be required for kids to attend daycare and school. That's an increase from the 55 per cent of respondents who said the same thing last year, before the outbreak began. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Public Health Ontario says it has seen 93 new measles cases over the past week, bringing the province's total number of infections to 1,888 since October. That's compared to 173 new cases reported May 22 and 182 reported May 15. Ontario officials say measles has sent 141 people to hospital so far, including 101 unvaccinated infants, kids and teenagers, and 10 people who required intensive care. Alberta reported a cumulative total of 628 cases on Wednesday. Half of the poll respondents in Ontario and Alberta said they believed more should be done to control the outbreak at all levels of health management, from the premier to the chief medical officer of health. Proof of vaccination is mandatory for kids to attend school in Ontario and New Brunswick, unless they have a valid exemption, but that's not the case across the country. The percentage of respondents who favoured proof of vaccination was slightly lower in Alberta, at 60 per cent, but higher than the 48 per cent of Albertans who supported a mandate last year. A Canadian Journal of Public Health article published in October 2024 found approximately 76 per cent of seven-year-olds were vaccinated against measles in 2023, down from just over 86 per cent in 2019. The poll also found 37 per cent of respondents in Alberta said they had no confidence in their provincial government's response to measles, while 30 per cent said the same in Saskatchewan and 27 per cent said that in Ontario. The polling industry's professional body, the Canadian Research Insights Council, says online surveys cannot be assigned a margin of error because they do not randomly sample the population. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May, 29, 2025. Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content. Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here .
