Poll suggests support for vaccine passports in B.C. has grown since March

A type of vaccine passport using a QR code is seen in this file image. (Shutterstock)

Vancouver -

As B.C. prepares to introduce a provincial vaccine card that will be required for entry into certain non-essential businesses and events, a new poll finds significant support for the concept of "vaccine passports" among B.C. residents.

Released Thursday by Research Co., the online poll surveyed a representative sample of 800 British Columbians and found that more than six-in-10 think vaccine passports are a good idea in each of eight scenarios.

The survey asked respondents whether they thought it would be a good idea or a bad idea to "rely on vaccine passports" in each situation.

Large majorities thought it would be either "a good idea" or "a very good idea" to rely on vaccine passports for international and interprovincial travel (77 and 69 per cent, respectively), and 61 per cent said such passports would be a good idea for travel within B.C.

Two-thirds thought it would be a good idea to rely on vaccine passports to be able to go to live concerts (66 per cent) and sporting events (67 per cent).

Smaller numbers - though still large majorities - thought it would be a good idea to rely on vaccine passports to be able to go to a gym or fitness facility (63 per cent), theatre or cinema (62 per cent), or to be able to work at an office (63 per cent).

The idea of requiring proof of vaccination for in-person dining at a restaurant - as B.C. plans to do - was not asked about in the survey.

Notably, the poll was conducted from Aug. 19 to 21, before the province announced its vaccine card plan.

It's also worth noting that the percentage of B.C. residents who say they support vaccine passports in each of the scenarios canvassed in the poll is lower than the percentage of British Columbians who have received at least a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

This suggests that at least some British Columbians have been vaccinated, but don't think it's a good idea to rely on vaccine passports for admission to events or venues or for travel.

Still, the number of people saying it's a good idea to rely on vaccine passports in each scenario has increased since a similar Research Co. poll conducted back in March.

"We've seen an increase in support for the concept of vaccine passports since the first time we asked back in March," said Mario Canseco, president of Research Co.

"In March, we still had the insecurity of figuring out where everybody would be vaccinated," Canseco added. "Now that we have a higher vaccination rate across the entire province, the level of support for relying on this vaccine passport has increased for everything."

He said he thinks vaccine passports will help people feel more comfortable going to a variety of locations in their daily lives that they currently say they're staying away from.

The poll asked respondents which venues they would be willing to attend right now, and found only one place where a large majority felt comfortable: dining at a restaurant with a patio.

Seventy per cent chose this as a location they'd be willing to attend, compared to a smaller majority (56 per cent) who said they'd be willing to go to a restaurant that only offers indoor dining.

The only other places asked about in the survey where more than half of British Columbians feel comfortable going right now are barber shops or salons (54 per cent) and libraries (53 per cent).

One-in-five (20 per cent) said they'd be willing to attend a live sporting event, and a similar number (23 per cent) said they'd be willing to go to a music venue for a concert or dancing.

Twenty-eight per cent would be willing to go to a gym and slightly more than a third would take a bus or SkyTrain (37 per cent for each) or visit a community centre (34 per cent).

"Ultimately, I think once the vaccine passport is implemented and people know how it is going to be working, then the numbers on all of these activities will rise," Canseco said.

The poll claims a margin of error of plus-or-minus 3.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.