A quarter of Canadians polled said they chose not to get a recommended vaccine. Here are their reasons – CTV
May 14, 2026
OTTAWA — A new online survey suggests nearly a quarter of Canadians say they’ve declined to get a vaccine recommended by their doctor, and the data indicates most of them did so because they were concerned about potential side effects.
A report from Proof Strategies released Thursday — which is World Vaccine Day — explores how Canadians feel about vaccines and why some of them hesitate to get the shots.
Bruce MacLellan, chair of Proof Strategies, said the organization decided to ask specific questions about vaccines in its annual trust index after Canada lost its measles elimination status in 2025.
“We think it’s an emerging and important public health issue,” he said.
MacLellan said the picture of vaccine hesitancy that emerges from the data is complex.
“What health-care professionals and public health officials need to understand is that Canadians who have hesitated about vaccines come from different places and have different reasons for why they’re hesitant, and it would be really important not to make it a political issue,” he said.
