Canadians want to see equitable distribution of vaccines globally – UNICEF Canada poll
85% of Canadians agree that it is important COVID-19 vaccines are distributed fairly to all countries
TORONTO, April 21, 2021 /CNW/ – Ahead of World Immunization Week, a new survey commissioned by UNICEF Canada reveals that while Canada is continuing to increase its rate of vaccinations, Canadians widely recognize that a global approach is the only way to fight COVID-19 and protect Canadians from its impacts.
Key findings include:
- 85% of Canadians agree that it is important COVID-19 vaccines are distributed fairly to all countries.
- More than 8 out of 10 Canadians agree that vaccinating people in developing countries is just as important as vaccinating people in countries like Canada.
- Two thirds of Canadians say Canada should be leading efforts to ensure lower-income countries have all the COVID-19 vaccine doses they need.
- More than 8 out of 10 Canadians agree that Canada should donate its excess doses of COVID-19 vaccines to lower-income countries once it’s secured enough doses for all Canadians.
“Canadians care about global vaccine equity. World Immunization Week is a key moment to remind ourselves that, as Canadians, we can play a leading role in ensuring that COVID-19 vaccines are affordable and accessible to all,” said David Morley, President and CEO of UNICEF Canada. “The clock is ticking. As teachers, health care and social workers continue to work day and night to care for children in lower-income countries, COVID-19 vaccines must reach the arms of frontline workers in the hardest to reach communities as soon as possible.”
Earlier this week, the federal government committed an additional $375 million to Canada’s international COVID-19 response in its 2021 budget, focusing on addressing the health needs in developing countries and providing support for equal access to the tools countries need to stop the spread of COVID-19. UNICEF Canada welcomed the commitment, recognizing the urgent need for global vaccine delivery to end the pandemic for everyone.
In collaboration with the PAHO Revolving Fund, UNICEF is leading efforts to procure and supply doses of COVID-19 vaccines for COVAX in what could be the world’s largest and fastest ever procurement and supply of vaccines. UNICEF is on track to meet its goal of delivering at least 2 billion doses of vaccine to participating countries around the globe in 2021.
To learn more about Canadians’ opinions of the COVID-19 vaccination rollout both domestically and globally, UNICEF Canada teamed up with research agency Fuse Insights. A poll was conducted March 19-24, 2021 among a nationally representative sample of 1,008 Canadian adults.
SOURCE Canadian Unicef Committee
