Ontarians have mixed feelings about the fourth dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
A recently released survey by the Angus Reid Institute found that about one in five vaccinated Ontarians say they won’t get the second booster.
While 62 percent of those surveyed said they will get it, another 20 percent remain undecided. Another 18 percent said they do not intend to get a booster.
In terms of when Ontarians want to see this vaccine available, 61% said they want it to be expanded to those 18 and older “as soon as possible,” while another 20% responded “not at all/no need to do it.” “. this.” The remaining 19 percent of respondents said they want to see the fourth vaccine rolled out starting in the fall or winter.
Despite this hesitation about the fourth dose, nearly 70 percent of people surveyed by Angus Reid in Ontario said they are willing to get a booster every year “for as long as it is recommended.” Just under 30 percent said the opposite.
A similar number of Ontarians said they feel keeping up with vaccinations is an effective way to combat serious illness or death, compared to just 18 percent of people who disagreed.
Last week, Ontario’s Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Kieran Moore, announced that eligibility for the fourth dose would be expanded to everyone over the age of 18.
People are eligible to get a second booster shot five months or 140 days after their last shot and if their last COVID-19 infection was at least three months (84 days) ago.
Moore urged people ages 18 to 59 who have “underlying conditions” like diabetes or heart disease to get vaccinated.
But he advised everyone else with “persistent and powerful immunity” to wait for now for Omicron’s targeted bivalent vaccines, which are expected to arrive in Canada in the fall.
Moore, however, suggested that healthcare workers and people who work in busy places should get a fourth dose even if they don’t have an underlying health condition.
Dr. Eileen de Villa, Medical Director of Health for Toronto, strongly encourages all eligible Torontonians to receive a fourth COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible, regardless of Moore’s advice.
“Staying up to date with your vaccination is the best way to ensure that you, your loved ones and your community are protected against the virus and its variants,” he said, noting that people with a third dose had the lowest rate of hospitalization. during previous waves. .
“While the third dose provides good protection against COVID-19, the fourth dose provides even better protection.”
Ottawa doctor Nili Kaplan-Myrth is also a strong supporter of the fourth injection and was prepared to sue the province if it wasn’t offered to all adults as soon as possible.
“If it gives you a modicum of extra protection and knowing that you won’t get your (bivalent) vaccine until November, why wouldn’t we want people to have their boosters instead of waiting while this wave builds up,” Kaplan-Myrth told CP24. In the past week.
“It was ridiculous that Ontario told us that we couldn’t apply the vaccine. (Adults under 60) should be eligible and now they are.”
The Angus Reid survey is based on a random sample of 1,583 Canadian adults who are members of the Angus Reid Forum. It was held between July 13 and 15, following Moore’s announcement. A probability sample of that size typically has a margin of error of plus or minus two percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
-with archives by Chris Herhalt