TORONTO -- A recent survey conducted by Statistics Canada has found that 75 per cent of Canadians aged 12 and older plan to get a COVID-19 vaccine once widely available.
The survey results, which were taken in September and released on Thursday, found that three out of four Canadians said they were somewhat or very likely to get the vaccine.
StatCan reported that women and men were equally likely to say they plan on getting vaccinated.
The agency reported that older Canadians were found to be the most likely to get a COVID-19 vaccine. Of respondents aged 65 and older, 80 per cent said they were somewhat likely or very likely to get the vaccine.
According to the data, just under three-quarters of those aged 12 to 64 (74 per cent) said the same.
Public health officials have deemed those over age 65 to be at a greater risk of serious complications if they were to contract COVID-19, and StatCan noted that the data shows this message has “resonated with seniors.”
While those with chronic health conditions are also at higher risk of serious outcomes from COVID-19, the data found that the proportion of those with underlying health issues who intended to get a vaccine was similar to those not living with a chronic condition.
Among the 10.2 million Canadians living with an underlying health condition, StatCan found that 77 per cent intend to get vaccinated while 76 per cent of respondents without a chronic health issue said the same.
Similarly, StatCan said there were "no statistically significant differences" by age group when comparing vaccine willingness of those with health conditions and those without.
"From a public health perspective, this is notable because there is clear evidence that those with chronic conditions are more likely to develop complications that may lead to hospitalization and even death if they contract COVID-19," StatCan reported.
In addition, the agency noted that the willingness of Canadians to get a coronavirus vaccine varied between provinces.
The survey reported that 89 per cent of Prince Edward Island residents were more likely than the national average to get the vaccine, followed by Nova Scotia and British Columbia (82 per cent).
StatCan said residents of Alberta were less likely to do so with only 71 per cent saying they would choose to get vaccinated.
The survey found that Canadians who had a post-secondary education were also more likely to report a willingness to get vaccinated compared to those without.
StatCan said that over three-quarters of respondents with “higher levels of educational attainment” said they were somewhat or very likely to get vaccinated. This rate fell to 70 per cent among those with a high school diploma and to 65 per cent for those with less than that, according to the data.
