Campaign tries to sway Manitobans on vaccination

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This article was published 18/03/2021 (1671 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

THE provincial government has launched a public awareness and engagement campaign under the banner #ProtectMB to improve COVID-19 vaccine uptake among Manitobans.

Public opinion research conducted by the province suggests about 63 per cent of the population is eager to be vaccinated against the disease while another 12 per cent is likely to be vaccinated, but not in a rush to sign up for a shot.

Dr. Joss Reimer, medical lead for the COVID-19 vaccine task force, said herd immunity — the percentage of people who need to be vaccinated so the virus does not circulate efficiently in the community — is estimated to be about 70 per cent for COVID-19.

“If we can get 80 per cent of Manitobans immunized, we’re going to be in a completely different situation than we were this time last year,” Reimer said.

Officials anticipate about nine per cent of the population to be ambivalent about vaccination and 10 per cent will not be persuaded to take the vaccine.

“We know that there’s always going to be individuals who no matter what we do or say, are going to choose for a variety of reasons not be immunized,” Reimer said. “That doesn’t mean that we don’t want to ensure that we’re reducing barriers as much as possible, that we’re connecting with folks to help provide them with reliable information about the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine.”

The figures come from an amalgamation of unscientific surveys conducted by the province.

A new website will be launched to support the campaign and Manitobans can sign up to receive notifications when they are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine.

“This new campaign relies on ongoing research and outreach to ensure we provide accessible, fact-based information about vaccination,” Health Minister Heather Stefanson said in a statement. “The vaccine will protect us and the people we love. I’d encourage Manitobans to sign up online so they’re ready to be immunized when it’s their turn.”

The website will also provide information on sites where people can be immunized, information about vaccines and myth-busting information.

The campaign will be supported through digital advertising and outreach, the province said. Advertising will be targeted to people who are 25 and older with a focus on older and female populations.

Provincial officials say they intend to make the public messaging campaign responsive to the realities of vaccine uptake among Manitobans and target populations where uptake is lacking.

— Danielle Da Silva