Two-thirds of Toronto parents ‘certain or somewhat likely’ to get young kids vaccinated against COVID-19, survey says
Two-thirds of Toronto parents ‘certain or somewhat likely’ to get young kids vaccinated against coronavirus, survey says
TORONTO—Parents in Toronto are much more likely to get their kids the shot against COVID-19 compared to other Canadian cities, but less likely to get the complete package of vaccines, according to a survey of 2,812 parents (ages 15 to 24) across Canada conducted by the Canadian Pediatric Society and the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine.
As of Sunday, March 18, 2020, 48 per cent of Canadians over-vaccinated their children compared to 28 per cent who received the full package: the measles vaccine, varicella, and for older kids, chickenpox, and the PIP vaccine (to protect against diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus); the DTaP vaccine (to protect against diphtheria, tetanus, and whooping cough); the MMR vaccine; the MMRV vaccine, with or without Tdap (to protect against tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis); and the Hep B and Hep B+ vaccines (to protect against hepatitis B).
However, there was more variation compared to the Canadian average, which found 45 per cent of adults in Canada received all three vaccines (MMRV, the Hep B and Hep B+), compared to 28 per cent over-vaccinated their kids (MMRV, the Hep B and Hep B+).
In Toronto, the most common over-vaccination was for the Hep B and Hep B+ vaccines, with only 10 per cent of parents getting all three vaccines, in comparison to 45 per cent over-vaccinating their kids. This represents both the lower rate of vaccination compared to the Canadian average and the variation among Canadian provinces on the extent to which parents received the full package of vaccines (or over-vaccination for those who did).
Ontario had the highest rate of over-vaccination, at 73 per cent, which followed