And yet a recent poll by Angus Reid suggested that 13 per cent of British Columbians did not intend to get vaccinated, and 41 per cent intended to wait for others to be vaccinated first.
Vaccine hesitancy is as old as vaccines, but current forces work to make it especially strong. For some people, a negative view of vaccination aligns with beliefs concerning intrusive governments, for-profit medicine or elitist scientific institutions.
For others, the breakneck pace of COVID-19 vaccine development gives rise to safety concerns, especially concerning possible long-term side effects. Social media can work to amplify such sentiments and create a climate of uncertainty.