They're unwilling to get vaccinated. Will a 'tough' talk with their family doctor help?

A London, Ont., family doctor is hoping to overcome vaccine scepticism among his patients by having one-on-one conversations with those who have yet to receive their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine to overcome their reluctance and quell their anxieties. 

Dr. Mario Elia is a family physician with the London Lambeth Family Health Organization. He said about one in four of his patients haven't received their first dose and 85 per cent of them are aged 18 to 35. 

"This is a tougher to reach group for most health issues," he said. "They think they're not necessarily at risk."

His patients are on par with the national average, according to Health Canada. As of Thursday, about one in four Canadians aged 12 and over have yet to receive at least one dose. 

Low-income, younger Canadians least likely to trust vaccine

As far as vaccine hesitancy goes, those most least likely to trust the shot are younger and low-income Canadians, according to a recent poll by The Proof Strategies 2021 CanTrust Index.  

Its online survey of 1,517 Canadians conducted between May 1-3 suggests the two groups least likely to have faith in vaccines are people under 25, at 57 per cent, and households with incomes of $35,000 or less, at 58 per cent, compared to 74 per cent among Canadians overall. 

The margin of error in the poll was +/- 2.5 per cent, 19 times out of 20.

Elia said much of the vaccine hesitancy among his young patients stems from being poorly informed about the science behind the shots available and his patients' own sense of invincibility. 

Misinformation, sense of invincibility biggest barriers

"Not surprisingly, some of the concerns they have are related to some kind of misinformation that they've seen. Some of their concerns are also related to their own perceived lack of risk." 

He said that perceived lack of risk, coupled with the fact that many of them are worried about the potential long-term side effects of the vaccine, keep a lot of his young patients from rolling up their sleeves. 

"There's not really any plausibility that there would be any long-term side effects."

Rather than worry about the potential long-term effects of the vaccine, Elia said his patients should be worried about the long-term side effects of getting the virus itself, which can include debilitating chronic fatigue for months after they got sick and other symptoms that are difficult to shake, let alone get treated. 

"To worry about long term side effects from that small a dose that we have a fairly good understanding of is really nothing they should be concerned about."

"We don't really know the long-term effects of getting COVID."

Elia said he's under no illusion that it's going to take some convincing to get those who are vaccine hesitant to roll up their sleeves. 

"It's going to be some tough slogging. I don't think it's going to be as easy as let's do a few public service announcements, it's going to be those one-on-one conversations and it's going to take a lot of work."

We all live in a confusing time, where a widening availability of vaccines is colliding with pockets of vaccine hesitancy, new variants of the virus and the fact that millions of children under 12 remain vulnerable because they can't get the shot at all. Many analysts have said these factors mean it won't be easy to get to herd immunity, where the nation can finally return to normal. 

Grandparents often most effective at changing minds

In fact, the argument about vaccines is likely going on across dinner tables in some Canadian households. Many families might be dealing with one or two members who refuse to get the shot, potentially leaving themselves and young children and seniors vulnerable. 

Dr. Elia said it's best to have the conversation early and try not to alienate the reluctant person.

Also, he said it might be best for vulnerable family members themselves, particularly seniors, to confront the person in their family who refuses to get vaccinated. 

"It's one thing for their doctor to tell them to get vaccinated. It's another thing entirely for grandma and grandpa to tell 25-year-old Johnny, 'please get vaccinated.'"

"I've found that particularly effective and I find that young people do heed that message when it comes from somebody they love."