A Health Canada survey found that parents are significantly less likely to accept recommended childhood immunizations as a result of the pandemic. The proportion of parents refusing some or all vaccines has nearly doubled since 2017, increasing from 12 to 22 percent. A popular social media account shared the study and claimed that their children won’t receive any vaccines because “Covid has opened my eyes.”
Recommendation: Widespread concerns and distrust about the safety of vaccines can lead to hesitancy and refusal, which increases the risk. Emphasizing that vaccines are one of the most important medical innovations in history is recommended, as is explaining that diseases that once killed and injured millions have been largely wiped out thanks to vaccines. Debunking messaging may also emphasize that the only reason parents can even consider forgoing routine vaccinations against deadly and debilitating diseases like polio and rubella is because vaccines have so dramatically reduced their spread. Fact Checking Source(s): American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Family Physicians, UNICEF