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A vaccine against measles, mumps and rubella is presented on a counter in a pediatric clinic in Greenbrae, CA on February 6, 2015. The Public Health Agency of Canada issued a statement to remind to Canadians that measles is a serious and highly contagious disease. disease and getting vaccinated is the best protection.
Eric Risberg / ASSOCIATED PRESS
As a BCC According to a new survey, one-third of Canadians question the scientific basis of vaccines.
The Angus Reid Institute's online survey found that 29% of those surveyed were of the opinion that scientific knowledge regarding vaccination against lethal childhood infections was not "entirely clear" ". And skepticism increases with age, with 36% of Canadians over 55 years old. believe that science is not totally convincing.
Another quarter (26%) believe that vaccination carries "a real risk of serious side effects," even though organizations such as the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention note that the side effects of vaccines for children, are minor (painful arms, mild fever or nervous disorders) and rare serious reactions (for example, with less than one dose per million doses administered with diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus vaccines).
Nevertheless, the majority (74%) of respondents agreed that campaigners against vaccines are "irresponsible" and seven in ten Canadians, whether or not they have children at home, said they would support compulsory vaccination, thus removing the right of withdrawal of the parent.
They are not hardened anti-vaxxers – they are people who are exposed to misinformation and want to do the best for their children, but who feel at odds
Twenty percent of parents with children under 12 said that this should remain the parents' choice. Liberal or NDP voters were twice as likely to agree that the choice should be that of the parent.
While one-third of Canadians said they were not sure about the scientific knowledge of vaccines, they did not necessarily say it was false or misleading, said Angus Reid Executive Director Shachi Kurl.
"If you are someone who has not always understood why an influenza vaccine works one year and not later, or why some vaccines seem to be more effective than others, there may be some confusion about the clarity of science, "said Kurl.
"We are also at a time when the propensity is greater and skepticism towards the so-called experts," she said. "It's possible that what we're seeing is a reflection of people saying," Well, no, I do not think science is very clear, and it's not because science means that it's 39 is by definition clear. "see this in the debate on climate science and other debates."
That said, hesitation does not seem to have much to do if people think vaccines work, Kurl said. Nine out of ten agreed that vaccines are effective in reducing the risk of spread of disease and 83% said they would vaccinate their own children unreservedly. Five per cent were opposed to vaccinating their children.
If you are someone who has not always understood why an influenza vaccine works one year and not later, or why some vaccines seem more effective than others, there may be some confusion as to the clarity of science.
Globally, measles cases have soared by 30% since 2016, a recrudescence of experts have at least partly pinned on ubiquitous anti-vaccine rhetoric on social media.
In Canada, one-tenth of children are unvaccinated, which means that 750,000 young Canadians are completely immune to diphtheria, huge cough, tetanus and measles.
In Canada, no parent can be forced to vaccinate their child. Manitoba, Ontario, and New Brunswick have mandatory school entry laws, but all three authorize non-medical exemptions for religious or conscientious reasons. in Ontario, these exemptions increase.
The new survey found that, by almost three to one, Canadians believe that vaccines should be mandatory and not parents' choice. This view held on both sides of the political aisle. "It's not like there's a strong civil liberty or a libertarian vision that fits into either side of the political spectrum or division," Kurl said.
Nevertheless, overall, the data reflect some of the tension that exists between those who believe that vaccines are valuable "and those with some degree of uncertainty," said Timothy Caulfield, a professor of law and policy. health at the University of Alberta.
"They are not hardened anti-vaxxers, they are people exposed to misinformation and wanting to do the best for their children, but who feel in conflict and feel that the data are not certain." said Caulfield.
"The science around vaccines is not fuzzy. Science is extremely well established, "he said. People have argued that vaccines are the greatest achievement of biomedicine. "They save millions of lives every year," Caulfield said.
"We hope all Canadians will embrace this reality."
The Angus Reid survey was conducted in early February with a random sample of 1,723 Canadian adults. A sample of this size has a margin of error of plus or minus two percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
National Post
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