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With recent measles outbreaks prompting the province to introduce a mandatory childhood vaccine registry, pharmacists in British Columbia hope to ensure that adults also keep the vaccine.
Rashin Mandegarian, a Vancouver-based Shoppers Drug Mart pharmacist, said recent studies show that only 3% of Canadian adults are up to date on their vaccines.
"Mistrust is one of the main reasons people do not vaccinate," Mandegarian told Black Press Media by phone.
"And 11% of British adults say their confidence in vaccinations has declined in the past year."
Mandegarian points out that the recent attention given to the anti-vax movement is one of the main reasons for mistrust, noting that although there is no scientific evidence that vaccines can be dangerous misinformation can sow mistrust.
Pharmacists in British Columbia can administer vaccines and Mandegarian hears a lot of questions and concerns on a daily basis.
"About 30% of people think that the vaccine can have nauseating side effects," she said.
"But vaccines can not make you sick, you can not catch a disease."
Most vaccines do not contain a living copy of the virus, said Mandegarian, and even among those who do "the virus is severely weakened, so there is enough to trigger an immune response."
She said that even among British Columbians who were not specifically concerned about vaccines, many people think it's a "one-on-one" situation.
But that could not be further from the truth.
"It's a common misconception that childhood immunization lasts a lifetime, but it's really important to get a booster shot for diseases such as tetanus and diphtheria."
In British Columbia, both vaccines are given together and the government recommends a booster every 10 years.
Although vaccination records may be difficult to find, Mandegarian points out that an additional vaccine or booster injection is never harmful.
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