Grappling with vaccine hesitancy

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This article was published 30/04/2021 (1674 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

LAST weekend, hundreds of Manitobans attended a high-profile protest opposing Manitoba’s mask mandate and other COVID-19 restrictions. Virtually none of those in attendance wore masks, and at least one speaker at the event had travelled to Manitoba and ignored the provincial quarantine rule.

In a liberal democracy, people have a right to protest laws and regulations they disagree with. It’s easy to forget or ignore that when we disagree with the reason for protesting; indeed, as the pandemic and periodic lockdown rules grind into their second year, it’s perhaps surprising that more people aren’t turning up at these rallies.

On the other hand, it’s tough not to roll one’s eyes when confronted by people displeased over having to wear a mask, which for those without difficulty breathing is annoying at worst. This is particularly true now that COVID-19 variants have taken the pandemic in an even darker direction. The death of a 13-year-old from COVID-19 in Ontario this week underscores the importance of continued vigilance, and the seeming selfishness of The Forks protesters.

While vaccination campaigns across the country represent a light at the end of the tunnel, there continues to be a segment of Canadians — including people who attend protests such as the one at The Forks — who are either unsure they will get the vaccine or are outright opposed to doing so. Results from the Canadian Community Health Survey conducted between September to December, for example, show that roughly 77 per cent of Canadians were either somewhat or very willing to get the vaccine.

What can explain the sizable percentage of Canadians who were not willing to do so? Surveys conducted relatively early in the pandemic revealed that a lack of confidence in the safety of the vaccines and concerns about side effects were the key culprits.

More recent research conducted by the Angus Reid Institute shows that as the pandemic has progressed, Canadians have become more willing to get a vaccine. But the percentage of Canadians who stubbornly refuse to do so has stayed relatively stable: roughly 12 per cent of Canadians will flat-out not get a vaccine.

In addition, there are potential problems with those Canadians who are willing to get a vaccine, including a preference to wait for certain vaccines over others. Early on in the pandemic, the federal government worked to secure vaccines from several sources; broad procurement meant that Canadians can now receive the Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech or AstraZeneca vaccines, and the Johnson & Johnson vaccine will soon be available in Canada.

Given the number of vaccines available, public-health officials have argued that the best strategy for Canadians is to ignore differences between vaccines and simply take the first one that is available to them.

Despite this advice, research by political scientist Peter Loewen and the Public Policy Forum shows that many Canadians have developed vaccine brand preferences, and that this could impact the speed and success of the country’s vaccination campaigns. In general, Canadians are more impressed by the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines than by AstraZeneca, and would prefer to receive one of the first two vaccines.

The lowering of eligibility requirements for AstraZeneca in Ontario, Alberta and Manitoba raises a crucial question: how many Canadians are eligible for the AstraZeneca vaccine but are instead sitting around waiting for one of the others? The Angus Reid Institute found in March that roughly 16 per cent of respondents would wait to get their preferred vaccine. Together with those who will outright refuse to get the vaccine, roughly one-quarter of Canadians are not getting the first vaccine available to them.

What can be done to address all this? Sustained, consistent messaging from government agencies regarding the safety and effectiveness of the vaccines should continue. In April, Canada’s National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) argued that Canadians should be able to wait for the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines because of a rare blood clot risk that is associated with the AstraZeneca vaccine. AstraZeneca is “safe,” according to NACI, but the body nevertheless “preferentially” recommended the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines.

Is it any wonder some Canadians are sitting on their hands when public-health officials send out confusing, contradictory information such as this?

It’s important to remember that the rambunctious protesters at The Forks do not represent all Canadians who are vaccine-hesitant. While the temptation to attack these people for being selfish is strong, doing so is counterproductive. As it turns out, challenging peoples’ deeply-held beliefs tends to lead to them holding those beliefs even more strongly.

This is known as the backfire effect, and it’s a good reason why you shouldn’t attack or dismiss the views of your vaccine-hesitant friends. Doing so could further entrench these views and make it even less likely they will get the vaccine.

Instead, a non-judgmental approach that includes directing people to resources about the safety and effectiveness of the vaccines could work wonders.

Royce Koop is an associate professor in the department of political studies and co-ordinator of the Canadian studies program at the University of Manitoba.