The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
When it comes to the health of their children, nearly three-quarters of Canadian parents surveyed rank vaccination ahead of other general health activities, including diet, exercise and hand washing. The top vaccine-preventable diseases parents are concerned about are meningitis, pneumonia, blood infections and hepatitis B, respectively. The national survey, conducted by Ipsos-Reid, also demonstrates Canadians' confidence in the safety of vaccines - 82 per cent agree that vaccines are safe and the same number believe that vaccines are one of the safest forms of medicine ever developed. Despite parents' support for immunization, just over half of respondents have had their children protected against at least one of the two forms of bacterial meningitis - a potentially fatal disease. "Immunization is the cornerstone of good public health and it's great to see that parents continue to recognize the value that vaccines bring to the health of their children," said Dr. John Yaremko, Assistant Professor, Department of Paediatrics, McGill University. "As physicians, we need to translate parents' understanding of the value of vaccines into action and make sure that all children get the recommended vaccines." Ninety per cent of parents believe that all children should receive all expert-recommended vaccinations. The National Advisory Committee on Immunization, Canadian Paediatric Society and Canadian Immunization Awareness Program support routine immunization that includes the newest vaccines available. The majority of Canadian parents (93 per cent) also believe that the government should fund all vaccines. In Canada, immunization is funded on a provincial basis and not all provinces have announced programs to include the new vaccines in their routine schedules. As a result, parents in certain provinces have to pay for some vaccinations on their own. While the majority of parents (93 per cent) say they would pay out-of-pocket for a vaccine to protect their children, nearly one-third (26 per cent) consider vaccines that are not government-funded to be less of a priority for their children. Canadian parents say vaccines are a wise government investment. Ninety-three per cent agree that vaccination prevents illness and therefore eases the financial burden placed on hospitals and other health care services. Although all provinces have yet to include the new vaccines in their routine programs, many provinces offer some or all of the vaccines. Survey results indicate that parents may not be taking advantage of the programs in their province. For example, less than half (43 per cent) of parents in British Columbia are aware that meningitis vaccines are paid for in that province.
