Canadian Opposition to Mandatory Child Vaccinations Up 14 Percent Since Pandemic

Opposition to mandatory childhood vaccination has jumped from 24 to 38 percent since 2019. (Numstocker/Shutterstock)

Opposition to mandatory childhood vaccination in Canada has risen 14 percent since the COVID-19 pandemic, up from 24 percent in 2019 to 38 percent today, a new survey has found.

Simultaneously, support for mandatory childhood vaccination in schools in Canada has dropped 15 points from 70 percent in 2019 to 55 percent in 2024, according to new data from the Angus Reid Institute. Currently, both Ontario and New Brunswick require certain immunizations to attend school.

A poll of Canadian parents with children under 18 found that one-in-six described themselves as “really against” vaccinating their kids, a four-fold increase from the pre-pandemic years, the Angus Reid data shows. While 17 percent of parents are dead-set against vaccinations, 71 percent of Canadians are worried the anti-vaccination movement will lead to unnecessary illness and suffering.

“In 2024, views of vaccinations vary across the country, from those who are completely confident in their efficacy, to those who feel they should not be given at all,” Angus Reid said in a post announcing the survey results.

“What is notable within this debate is that there has been little change in the proportion of those who say opposing child vaccination is irresponsible. In 2015, 2019, and 2024, between 72 and 75 percent of Canadians have held this view.”

Parental Vaccine Concerns Grow

While the majority of parents still say they would vaccinate their children “without reservation,” the number of parents who are against and who sit on the fence has grown substantially in the past five years, the survey results show.

A full 88 percent of parents in 2019 said they fully supported vaccinating their children compared to 67 percent today. The number of parents unsure about vaccinations five years ago versus 2024 has doubled from 8 percent to 16 percent while the number staunchly against has grown from 4 percent to 17 percent.

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Fifty-two percent of the parents surveyed said it should be their decision whether they vaccinate their children, while only 32 percent of people who do not have children under 18 said it should be the parent’s decision.

Of those who say vaccination should be a parental choice, only 49 percent say they would vaccinate their child “without reservation.” Twenty percent are “outright opposed to it,” while 31 percent “are on the fence.”

“While the movement to maintain the parents’ right to choose on childhood vaccination has evidently increased, there has been a consistent view that choosing not to vaccinate would nonetheless be irresponsible,” the post authors wrote. “Across the past decade between 72 and 75 percent of Canadians have held the view that those against childhood vaccination are in the wrong.”

Ontario residents are most receptive to a vaccine mandate for school children with 61 percent support, while only 45 percent of Quebecers expressed support.

Gender and age also played a role in support of vaccine for kids. Men were less likely than women to support it with one-third of men under 55 saying they were either against or unsure about vaccinating a child.

Routine childhood vaccinations fell during the pandemic with an estimated 300,000 children receiving their vaccines late or missing them altogether, according to a national survey in the fall of 2021.

Some health units are still playing catch up to get students up-to-date on immunizations. In Ontario, the Region of Waterloo sent letters to the parents of 32,000 students to notify them their children were at risk of suspension over incomplete immunization records.

Ontario and New Brunswick students must be vaccinated for diphtheria, chickenpox, meningitis, measles, mumps, polio, rubella, tetanus, and whooping cough, unless the child receives an exemption.

Vaccine Uncertainty on Rise

Vaccine uncertainty is on the rise among all Canadians, not just parents of minors, the survey found.

Twenty-nine percent of Canadians say they are skeptical about the science of vaccines while 34 percent said they are worried about the risk of significant side effects.

“The COVID-19 vaccination push appears to have engendered a newfound skepticism when it comes to vaccination overall,” the authors wrote, noting that older Canadians “are consistent in their belief of the efficacy of vaccines in preventing illness in the wider population.”

There has been an increase in vaccine skepticism among all other groups, the report said, but particularly in men under 55.

Fifty-six percent of the men surveyed who were between the ages of 35 and 54 identified as “anti-vax” or “vax skeptics,” the highest number among all age and gender combinations.

There is also a growing belief among some Canadians that the human body can gain immunity to diseases without vaccination. One-in-five Canadians surveyed subscribe to this belief, with 69 percent of them identifying as anti-vax.

Still, more Canadians than not are in favour of vaccines. Of the options presented by the survey, 29 percent said they are “max vaxxers” and 34 percent said they are “vax proponents.” Twenty-four percent chose “vax skeptics” while 14 percent said they are “anti-vax.”