Public Health Agency Drops Contract to Collect Online Data on Vaccine Hesitant

People walk past a vaccine clinic during the COVID-19 pandemic in Mississauga, Ont., on April 13, 2022. (The Canadian Press/Nathan Denette)

A plan by the Public Health Agency of Canada to hire a social media intelligence company to collect data on individuals who are vaccine hesitant has been shelved.

The agency had posted an Advance Contract Award Notice on the government’s tender notices portal in December, indicating that U.K.-based firm Pulsar Platform would be awarded the contract if no other suitable bid was made.

“In preparation for increased vaccination education, promotion, and outreach, The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) is requiring the services of a consultant to analyze the vaccine related conversations on social media and PHAC social media initiative and campaign performance,” the notice said.

The tender website now says the requirement has been cancelled and the contract was not awarded.

Agency spokesperson Nicholas Janveau told The Epoch Times that “PHAC chose not to proceed with the project due to other priorities.”

When asked what those other priorities are, Janveau said that countering vaccine hesitancy remains a priority.

“Encouraging vaccine confidence, including addressing misinformation and disinformation, continues to be a priority,” he said.

“Efforts continue to ensure that people in Canada have access to credible information and resources to help them make informed decisions about vaccination for themselves and their families.”

Janveau added that PHAC was focused on increasing confidence in COVID-19 vaccination in the past two years, but that the agency is now “actively evaluating work in this area to ensure it is aligned with ongoing efforts to support COVID-19 vaccination programs in addition to routine vaccination programs.”

This work involves PHAC’s engagement with a range of partners to increase confidence through education, supporting healthcare providers, reducing barriers to access vaccination, as well as actions to address data, knowledge, and research gaps.

Janveau said this “evolving context” and the “availability of resources” led to the contract not proceeding.

The now-cancelled contract said Pulsar would be tasked to collect three years’ worth of historical online data on individuals who are vaccine hesitant from social media platforms and websites.

PHAC wanted to gain information on people who are participating and influencing the online conversations on vaccination. Once the data was obtained, the agency would have sought to tailor specific messages to target the identified communities.

PHAC had already identified indigenous peoples and millennial males as communities of interest.

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner told The Epoch Times in December it wasn’t aware of PHAC’s social media information-collection plan.

The Statement of Work for the contractor stated that to help PHAC “better understand the vaccine landscape in Canada, the consultant must map the volume of vaccine hesitancy conversation and specific conversation pillars over a three-year period, identifying what and who is influencing and driving key peaks in conversation, and what messaging and actions generated a positive response.”

The Epoch Times contacted Pulsar for comment but didn’t immediately hear back.