Poll shows majority of parents oppose mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations for young children to attend school

Parents who've been vaccinated were evenly split on this question

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      With the arrival of the Omicron variant of concern in Canada, there's a growing worry about being infected with COVID-19, according to  a new poll by the Angus Reid Institute.

      "Three-in-five Canadians now say they are concerned about becoming sick and three-quarters (73%) say they are worried their friends or family will be infected by COVID-19," the pollster said in its report.

      The sample size was 2,005 respondents and the poll has a margin of error of plus or minus two percent, 19 times out of 20.

      However, the poll also showed that a majority of a subset of respondents—parents of young children—oppose mandatory vaccinations for kids from 5 to 11 years old as a prerequisite for attending school.

      Fifty-five percent of the 250 respondents to this question felt it was going too far to require a jab against COVID-19 to sit in classrooms, whereas 38 percent supported this idea. The rest were not sure or couldn't say.

      Those who've been vaccinated—about 90 percent of the respondents—were evenly divided on this question.

      Most respondents are willing to socialize with friends and family over the holiday season.

      Among all respondents, 80 percent are willing to have a family dinner, compared to 58 percent last year and 88 percent in 2019.

      Sixty-nine percent will visit friends and family locally, compared to 30 percent last year and 81 percent in 2019.

      The numbers are not as high when it comes to visiting relatives in another community or province (28 percent) or attending a workplace party (24 percent).

      Only 15 percent expressed a willingness to go to church this holiday season, compared to 11 percent last year and 26 percent in 2019.

       

       

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