Medical officer of health to research ways to combat vaccine hesitancy
Posted April 8, 2019 4:44 pm.
Last Updated April 9, 2019 10:51 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The Toronto Board of Health has unanimously passed a motion to look at ways to combat vaccine hesitancy in Canada.
The report presented by the city’s medical officer of health said it’s vital to ensuring children are receiving their vaccinations.
Vaccine hesitancy, defined as the reluctance or refusal to vaccinate, has been identified by the World Health Organization as a top ten threat to global health in 2019.
Associate Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Vinita Dubey, told the Board of Health, around 20 per cent of Canadian parents are vaccine hesitant and “it’s mostly because they are unsure of the safety and effectiveness of vaccines.”
Dubey adds there are ways to counter the underlying beliefs that lead to hesitancy including responding to misinformation, providing clear and truthful messages supporting vaccines, and enabling health care providers to address parent concerns.
A report will be due back in September that will be forwarded to various health agencies across the province.
The medical officer of health also recommended requesting Health Canada explore avenues to reduce the spread of misinformation and false claims about vaccines.
