Albertans are among the most resistant to the idea of being quickly vaccinated for COVID-19, according to a new poll.
The Angus Reid Institute poll found more than one-in-four Albertans, 28 per cent, say they would not get a vaccine for the novel coronavirus at all.
Fewer than half of Canadians say they’d get a COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible.
In Alberta, the number of respondents who said they would consider vaccination as soon as possible dropped 13 percentage points from July. Only 28 per cent said they would get one as soon as it became available.
Eight-in-10 Albertans (79 per cent) who responded to the survey said they are concerned about possible side-effects. This was the highest reported concern from citizens of any province.
Residents of Quebec also showed more concern about vaccine side effects, and fewer people said they would be willing to get vaccinated quickly. The poll notes Alberta and Quebec have among the highest per capita rates of COVID-19 infection in the country.
Nationally, only 39 per cent of Canadians surveyed say they would be vaccinated as soon as one was widely available, while 38 per cent say they would get one but will opt to wait and watch for side effects.
The rest of the respondents were split between taking an anti-vaccination stance (16 per cent) and indecision (seven per cent.)
The pollsters note the number of Canadians who would get inoculated early has dropped seven points since a similar poll mid-summer.
British Columbians and Atlantic Canadians remain the most likely to be willing to inoculate early.
In July, when Angus Reid first surveyed Canadians on this issue, close to half (46 per cent) said they would get a vaccine as soon as they could.
In other findings, a majority (84 per cent) now say they are wearing a mask always or most of the time when around others in public.
This is up nearly 30 points from July.
The poll, which was conducted from Sept. 23 to 25, carries a margin of error of plus or minus 2.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
