Survey: Canadians confident in federal government’s vaccination plan

By: Vincenzo Morello

A survey has found that most Canadians are confident in the Canadian government’s plan to acquire the necessary amount of vaccines in order to ensure that all Canadians who want to be vaccinated are able to do so by September.

According to the survey by Leger and the Association for Canadian Studies, which polled 1,532 Canadians in late February, 56 per cent of respondents were totally confident in the federal government’s vaccination plan.

However, confidence in the vaccination plan differed by province. Respondents from Atlantic Canada, and Quebec were the most confident in the plan to acquire vaccine doses at 71 per cent and 62 per cent respectively. Meanwhile, respondents from Alberta and Ontario were the least confident at 43 per cent and 53 per cent respectively.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has repeatedly assured Canadians that anyone who wants to be vaccinated will be able to do so by September.

The survey also found that Canadians opinions varied on when to end lockdown restrictions as COVID-19 vaccinations increase across the country. Most respondents, 31 per cent said they would feel comfortable ending lockdowns when all Canadians who want the vaccine receive the required doses.

Meanwhile, 18 per cent of respondents said the lockdown restrictions should be lifted when half of the country has received two doses of the vaccine.

According to statistics from the Canadian government, as of Feb. 26, 2021, 1,086,025 Canadians, 2.86 per cent, have at least received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and 435,092 Canadians, 1.14 per cent, have received two doses.