Vaccination in a pandemic: The impact on routine vaccinations and future COVID-19 vaccine acceptance

COVID-19 Research Area(s): Epidemiology & Public Health

An understanding of Canadians' acceptance of future vaccines and their perspectives on vaccine prioritization will be critical before vaccines are rolled-out. The aim of this project is to support the public health system in these tasks. We will begin by assessing how provincial and territorial health systems are delivering routine vaccinations during the pandemic, examining what the public think about routine vaccines during this time, and then measuring whether less/more people are getting vaccinated with routine vaccines during the pandemic. Second, since population support for a vaccination program is critical to its success, we will examine public acceptability of new COVID-19 vaccines and the determinants of acceptability. The project will provide Canada's public health system with essential information to organize the distribution of routine vaccines during the pandemic and to prepare for the inevitable COVID-19 mass vaccination program that is on the horizon.