Threatening anti-vaccine flyers shared in Hamilton hospital parking lot and area

Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS) says it is looking into threatening anti-vaccine flyers shared in one of its hospital's parking lots.

The hospital network told staff the flyers were being distributed in the Hamilton General Hospital parking lots.

"Hospital leaders share the concerns of staff and physicians regarding the threatening tone and the non-factual information conveyed in the flyers," read a memo.

"HHS is a leading academic and research hospital in Canada and our organization's care is evidence-based: COVID vaccines are safe and effective … that is fact."

The flyers, which promote ignoring public health advice and spread falsehoods about the virus, issue a warning to all medical practitioners, doctors and nurses that they'll be "on trial for war crimes and held accountable."

Police say report is first of its kind

The hospital network states security are keeping a closer eye on the area and police were notified.

Const. Krista-Lee Ernst with the Hamilton Police Service said officers received a report at 11:10 p.m. on Mar. 5 about the flyers left on vehicles.

"These were on every car in several lots surrounding the hospital and on various streets such as Barton and Wellington. This one the first time that we have reports of this occurring."

"Hamilton police have documented the occurrence but are not investigating as there was no criminal actions that took place," she said in a statement.

HHS said it will "respond to any attempt to intimidate and deter staff and physicians from helping the communities we serve."

Canada trying to manage misinformation

This comes as the country tries to manage vaccine hesitancy, misinformation and disinformation during the pandemic.

It has been of particular importance as new vaccines are approved for use. If people don't get vaccinated, it will be harder to fend off COVID-19. 

Critics of the vaccines have pointed to the rapid pace they have come out, but experts have repeatedly assured the public the vaccines still went through proper procedures and studies.

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Canada's chief public health officer has even weighed in.

"I am increasingly concerned about the number of false and misleading claims related to COVID-19 that make it more difficult for Canadians to determine fact from fiction and make informed decisions," Dr. Theresa Tam said in a previous statement.

HHS touted Ryerson University's COVID "misinfowatch" page as a resource to combat disinformation.

But at least one poll shows things are looking up on the vaccine front. 

A survey conducted by the Angus Reid Institute suggests Canadians are more willing to get a COVID-19 vaccine immediately rather than take a "wait-and-see" approach.

Specifically, 66 per cent of respondents said they would get a vaccine as soon as possible, opposed to a low of 39 per cent who gave the same answer in September. 

And only 16 per cent said they would wait to get the vaccine, compared to a high of 38 per cent in September.

As of the end of Sunday, there have been 46,342 vaccine doses administered in Hamilton according to local public health data.