Vaccinated people viewed more favourably than the unvaccinated: poll
A new poll suggests tensions between those who are vaccinated against COVID-19 and those who aren't are growing. Possibly replacing previous divisions.
The Association for Canadian Studies commissioned a poll which surveyed 1,159 people online from Sept. 10 to 12, 2021. The results show that 77% of those surveyed had negative views of the unvaccinated while just 4% thought poorly of those with the vaccine.
Jack Jedwab is the president of the association and says at this point, "this relationship is the key focus for a lot of Canadians, and it's the one where Canadians are feeling the most animosity of any other relationship."
The association says it's the first poll of this kind that it has conducted and to monitor trends, it will likely repeat the survey in the future.
Another finding, almost 25 per cent of those who aren’t immunized see other non-immunized people negatively. Online polls don't have a margin of error but comparatively a probability sample of 1,549 respondents would have a margin of error of ±2.52 per cent, 19 times out of 20.
"My suspicion is that if you're unvaccinated you probably don’t want to be in a room with another 50 people are unvaccinated so there's going to be a fair degree of mistrust, within that group as well," added Jedwab.
Scott Lear, a professor in the faculty of Health Sciences at Simon Fraser University said that some public health policy and messaging, which blamed young people and the unvaccinated for increasing infection rates, could be deepening frustrations. Lear said there are things both unvaccinated and vaccinated people can't do, leading to a sense of loss of control.
"And when that happens, we're probably looking for lightning rods to put that anger (on)," he said.
Lear also noted anti-vaxxers may only make up a small portion of those who aren't vaccinated. He suggests talking to loved ones who aren't immunized with empathy and not to blame or shame them. He says that's particularly important in relationships you want to keep.
"Of those people who are unvaccinated there's a chunk that can be swayed. But they just need the right reasons." he added.
As of Monday the Ministry of Health noted 87.7 per cent of eligible people 12 and older had been vaccinated. A tweet by Health Minister Adrian Dix also noted that as of 11 a.m., 3,202,595 British Columbians have created a BC Vaccine Card.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Police tangle with students in Texas and California as wave of campus protest against Gaza war grows
Police tangled with student demonstrators in Texas and California while new encampments sprouted Wednesday at Harvard and other colleges as school leaders sought ways to defuse a growing wave of pro-Palestinian protests.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.