Omicron tests Manitobans’ faith in vaccines

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This article was published 29/01/2022 (964 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

With the Omicron variant leaving many Manitobans sickened with COVID-19, a large minority are now questioning the effectiveness of vaccines.

A Probe Research poll of 800 Manitoba adults found four out of 10 agree they are starting to lose confidence in the vaccine preventing people from getting sick. About eight in 10 Manitobans believe they have had COVID-19 or know someone who has had it.

Probe principal Curtis Brown says vaccine confidence changed when the latest virus variant arrived and quickly spread through the population.

“I think Omicron changed everything for Manitobans,” said Brown on Friday.

“For nearly two years, the message has been ‘get vaccinated as soon as possible’ and then with this latest strain many of those who were vaccinated did end up getting sick.”

More than 2.7 million vaccinations have been administered to Manitobans with 85.6 per cent of the population with one dose, 79.3 per cent with a second, and 39.6 per cent with the booster.

Brown said it’s no surprise which groups are more likely to say they are losing confidence in the vaccine.

“Many of the same groups that were more likely to have ended up getting COVID, like younger adults and those with kids at home and BIPOC Manitobans, are also more likely to say their confidence is somewhat shaken in the idea that the vaccine will fully protect them from falling ill,” he said.

The Manitobans with the most confidence are residents in central Winnipeg, people aged 55 and over, NDP and Liberal party supporters, and people with three doses of the vaccine.

University of Manitoba virologist Jason Kindrachuk said he’s disappointed to hear that about 40 per cent of Manitobans feel this way, but he can understand why.

“Part was because of the messaging of what the vaccine can and can’t do,” said Kindrachuk.

“There was a hope the vaccines would be that final touch to end the pandemic. We do see exceptionally good protection from hospitalization and serious disease, but there’s this other point — the protection from infection.

“Omicron has thrown a very large left turn in the road because it’s a variant with a unique ability to get around it.”

But Kindrachuk said medical experts and public officials should realize the majority of people still believe in the effectiveness of the vaccines and build from there.

“We frankly have to be as adaptable as the virus,” he said.

“I wish we could have done a better job of the can’s and can’ts of what the vaccine can do so people know the limitations or the boundaries of the vaccine.”

Meanwhile, Manitobans are evenly split on whether to punish people who decide not to be vaccinated with additional taxes.

The poll found while about three in 10 Manitobans strongly support introducing a levy, like the Quebec government has talked about and which some European countries have introduced, another three in 10 are strongly against the idea.

Overall, just over half of Manitobans are in favour of the idea.

But, if such a measure went ahead, Manitobans are slightly more in favour of increasing taxes to pay for health care and offering a tax credit for vaccinated people than to put a direct surcharge on unvaccinated people who don’t have a medical exemption.

Women, Winnipeggers, and older adults lead the way in favour of taxing the unvaccinated, while Manitobans with high school education or less, support the Progressive Conservatives, are evangelical Christians, or not vaccinated are most against the idea.

The poll of 800 Manitoba adults was taken through an online survey conducted between Jan. 19 to 26, using the company’s proprietary panel supplemented with respondents from a large national panel provider.

No margin of error for an online panel survey can be given, but a random and representative sample of 800 adults would be accurate within plus or minus 3.5 per cent 19 times out of 20.

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca