Advertisement

Canadians not feverish about flu shots

OTTAWA, Dec. 20 (UPI) -- A poll shows two-thirds of Canadians don't think getting a flu shot is worthwhile, even if it's free, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported Monday.

The weekend poll of 1,015 Canadians by Decima Research found the highest inoculation rate was in Ontario -- one province that offers shots free to its residents -- with 44 percent. The other provinces all were in the mid- to high-20 percent range, despite widespread national advertising extolling the benefits of the shots.

Advertisement

The lukewarm response to vaccination stands in contrast to the United States, which continues to grapple with a shortage of doses caused by Chiron's plant closure in England in September.

Of those polled, 62 percent of Canadians ages 55 and older are most likely to get vaccinated.

The federal Health Canada agency reports an estimated 10 percent to 25 percent of Canadians are likely to get the flu each year and an estimated 500 to 1,500 mostly elderly Canadians die every year from flu-related pneumonia.

Latest Headlines