Survey: 8 in 10 Canadians would line up for COVID-19 vaccine if offered to them

A new survey related to the vaccine rollout shows that many who will be getting the shot are willing to do so even though they’re not entirely sure about the safety of the inoculation.

According to the survey conducted by KPMG that polled 2,002 Canadians, 80 percent said they would line up to get a vaccine shot within the next three months if it’s offered.

That high number comes despite nearly half of those asked saying they were unsure about the vaccine’s safety.

Even those who believe the shot isn’t totally safe will still take the inoculation to get their lives and the economy back on track.

Johnathan Kallner with KPMG says this shows the need for more information provided by governments and the medical community.

“Canadians are looking for transparency. They’re looking for clear messaging,” he said. “[They] want to know the government has thought this through from the start of distribution all the way to the shot going into their arm.”

Some key findings revealed that just over half (53 percent) of Canadians feel that it’s totally safe to get inoculated while only one in five (22 percent) say they won’t take it due to concerns about vaccine safety and how the rollout will be managed.

In terms of “feeling safe”, Canadians said they need to trust that the decision to approve a vaccine was based purely on health factors (96 percent) and want full transparency on all aspects of the vaccine program (96 percent).

Finally, the polled Canadians said they want “clear assurance” that whoever inoculates them has properly recorded, tracked, and reported potential side effects with public health officials (97 percent).

---

RELATED: Poll finds only 55 percent of Ontarians would get COVID-19 vaccine

---

Compared to a previous survey from KPMG conducted in May, 83 percent said they would get the vaccine at the time, and an overwhelming majority (94 percent) said it was their “civic duty as Canadians to flatten the COVID-19 curve.”

“There is light in this very dark tunnel. But, Canada is at a critical juncture,” Karina Guy, a partner and KPMG’s digital health leader in Western Canada, said.

“For so many Canadians, the last 10 months have been difficult with lives taken and livelihoods lost. Now, Canada has an opportunity to build hope and momentum, supported by transparency and trust.”

In early December, over 70 percent of Toronto residents said they are prepared to get vaccinated once one is approved and made available.

The survey, conducted by Ipsos Reid and overseen by Toronto Public Health, asked 1,201 people various health and safety-related questions. It found that 73 percent of Torontonians would ‘Definitely/probably get‘ an available COVID-19 vaccine, while 33 percent of residents said they would ‘Probably get it‘.

The survey concluded that 16 percent of people would ‘Definitely/probably not get it‘ with 11 percent of residents saying they were unsure.