Over 70% of Torontonians would get vaccinated against COVID-19, survey finds

In a wide-ranging survey that posed several key questions related to COVID-19, over 70 per cent of Toronto residents say they are prepared to get vaccinated once one is made available.

According to an online survey by Ipsos Reid and overseen by Toronto Public Health, 1,201 people were posed the question: “As you likely know, a vaccine may be developed to protect against COVID19. Once a COVID-19 vaccine is developed and rolled out in Canada, would you say you would…”

The survey found that 73 per cent of people would “definitely” or “probably” an available COVID-19 vaccine. The survey concluded that 16 per cent of people would “definitely not” or “probably not” get it with 11 per cent of residents saying they were unsure.

Ontario’s government has announced that the province will receive shipments of Pfizer and Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccines, with Doug Ford promising that his government’s rollout plan will successfully lead to millions of people safely inoculated.

On Monday, the federal government announced that Canada will receive well over 200,000 doses of Pfizer’s vaccine sometime in December, with Justin Trudeau saying the first shipment is expected sometime next week.

Among other interesting findings from the survey, a significant amount of people living in Toronto were polled on whether they properly adhere to COVID-19 safety measures and guidelines.

Of the number of people questioned, 49 per cent said they always wear a mask when they leave their home, whether it’s outdoors or indoors, while 48 percent of residents said they always wear a mask in indoor public spaces, such as stores, but prefer not wearing one outside.

Torontonians that were polled also say that the long-lasting effects brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic have taken a toll on their mental health.

Thirty-three per cent of surveyors admitted that their mental well-being is “much” or “slightly” worse since the pandemic first began in March, with 45 per cent of people saying their mental health is “about the same.”

Residents also appear to be on the same page when it comes to Toronto being under lockdown. Forty-three per cent say they “strongly support” COVID-19 lockdown measures, with 40 per cent of surveyors saying they “somewhat support” the current restrictions. Only seven per cent of voters said they were strongly against them.

Among the people surveyed, 35 per cent are from Old Toronto/East York/York, 23 per cent hail from Scarborough, with 21 per cent of residents coming from Etobicoke and North York.