Eight in Ten Canadians (82%) Say Keeping Up-to-Date on Vaccines is Important, but 27% Say It’s Not a Priority
Toronto, ON, June 4, 2019 — When it comes to staying vigilant about health, most Canadians know that vaccinations are important. However, a new Ipsos study for GSK shows that not everybody sees staying on schedule with their immunizations as a priority. A majority of Canadians – eight in ten (82%) – say that staying up-to-date with vaccinations appropriate to them is important (46% very important / 36% fairly important). However, more than one in four (27%) agree (9% completely / 18% somewhat) that keeping up-to-date on adult vaccinations simply isn’t a priority to them (50% disagree, indicating that it is a priority, while 22% neither agree nor disagree).
Theory vs. Practice
While most Canadians recognize the importance of vaccinations in theory, not everyone is following through when it comes to their own health. Among parents, despite 93% agreeing they have a responsibility to their family to ensure they take care of their own health, half (52%) agree (22% completely / 30% somewhat) that keeping up-to-date on adult vaccinations is less important than making sure their child or children are up-to-date on recommended childhood immunizations.
A majority of Canadians claim some level of knowledge about vaccinations: more than six in ten (63%) describe themselves as knowledgeable (19% very / 44% quite) about childhood vaccinations, while 59% feel knowledgeable (17% very / 42% quite) about adult vaccinations.
However, Canadians are less aware of what vaccines are covered by public healthcare. Just over half (56%) say it’s true that all vaccines that are important for them to have are provided for free through their province’s public health programs, including 66% of those living in Atlantic Canada, 63% in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, 60% in Ontario, 55% in Alberta, 52% in British Columbia, and just 47% in Quebec. Nationally, more than one in four (27%) think this is false, while a further 17% don’t know.
Lack of Communication
The survey also finds further evidence of a lack of communication between Canadians and their healthcare providers when it comes to vaccinations recommended for adults.
More than eight in ten Canadians (84%) say they would turn to their doctor or primary care provider for advice on vaccinations that help protect against diseases in adulthood – making doctors the number-one choice of reference on adult vaccines, ahead of pharmacists (39%), general online searches (17%), government websites (16%), friends or family (15%), or social media (3%). Yet in the past 12 months, only three in ten (29%) have asked their doctor or another healthcare professional for advice on adult vaccines.
About the Study
These are some of the findings of an Ipsos survey conducted between March 4 and March 7, 2019, on behalf of GSK. For this survey, a random sample of 1,802 Canadians aged 18+ was interviewed online via the Ipsos I-Say panel. Weighting was then employed to balance demographics to ensure that the sample's composition reflects that of the adult population according to Census data and to provide results intended to approximate the sample universe. The precision of Ipsos online surveys is measured using a credibility interval. In this case, the survey is accurate to within ±2.6 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, had all Canadian adults been polled. The credibility interval will be wider among subsets of the population. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error, and measurement error.
For more information on this news release, please contact:
Jennifer McLeod Macey
Vice President, Canada,
Ipsos Public Affairs
+1 416 324-2108
[email protected]
About Ipsos
Ipsos is an independent market research company controlled and managed by research professionals. Founded in France in 1975, Ipsos has grown into a worldwide research group with a strong presence in all key markets. Ipsos ranks fourth in the global research industry.
With offices in 89 countries, Ipsos delivers insightful expertise across five research specializations: brand, advertising and media; customer loyalty; marketing; public affairs research; and survey management.
Ipsos researchers assess market potential and interpret market trends. They develop and build brands. They help clients build long-term relationships with their customers. They test advertising and study audience responses to various media and they measure public opinion around the globe.
Ipsos has been listed on the Paris Stock Exchange since 1999 and generated global revenues of €1,780.5 million in 2017.
