A new Abacus Data survey shows 48 per cent of New Brunswickers polled didn’t get a flu shot last year.
Of those in New Brunswick who responded to the survey, 25 per cent said they did not need vaccines; 14 per cent said they don’t trust vaccines; while 13 per cent said they never get vaccines.
The survey was conducted online with 3,219 Canadians residents aged 18 and over, from February 26 to March 7, 2019.
It includes data from a 500 oversample of respondents in New Brunswick.
Paul Blanchard, Executive Director of the New Brunswick Pharmacists’ Association, says they are definitely concerned, especially given the rise of old diseases that have been largely eradicated in North America coming back.
“You’re seeing a lot of stories now with respect to measles, whooping cough, you know, a lot of diseases that are manageable that we have a vaccine for,” he said in an interview.
Immunization protects individuals and communities against the spread of preventable disease. As more people are immunized, the risk of disease is reduced for everyone.
He says vaccines are important in protecting against theses diseases, not just in individuals, but for everyone, citing something called “herd immunity.” This protects more vulnerable people from getting sick, such as seniors and young children, as well as people with compromised immune systems. While your body may be able to fight off the flu, they have a harder time and are part of the populations that can die from the flu.
He says for a population to have herd immunity, at least 75 to 80 per cent should be vaccinated, a number New Brunswick is nowhere near yet.
Blanchard says there is a lack of education and a lot of misinformation on vaccines, especially circulating online. One common complaint is that vaccines can make you sick.
“That’s a myth,” he said. “Some people get the vaccine, and then they might get sick in three days, but the reality is the vaccine will take between 10 and 14 days to be effective.”
Blanchard admits that vaccinations can be difficult to get, as New Brunswick is one of only three provinces in Canada that does not have a universal flu vaccination program.
Pharmacists are able to perform them, as well as physicians and nurses, but in the private care system, a flu shot can cost up to $25.
“Pharmacists are trained to administer injections. Many New Brunswickers don’t have a family doctor or find it difficult to access their doctor, and Public Health offices have limited locations and hours. But patients can access pharmacists on their own schedule, on holidays, evenings and weekends,” said Blanchard. “Allowing pharmacists to help Increase our vaccination rates will help New Brunswickers stay healthier and reduce healthcare costs.”
The survey found that 96 per cent of New Brunswickers polled said flu shots should be covered by Medicare for everyone in the province rather than just targeted groups like seniors and children. Ninety-four per cent of New Brunswickers believe the shingles vaccine should be covered by the New Brunswick Health Plan, according to the survey.
Blanchard agrees, saying it’s something the NB Pharmacist Association is asking the government for by 2020.
“We think the government should eliminate all barriers to getting a flu vaccine in particular so that we can get to herd immunity,” he said.
