Why Aren’t More Canadians Vaccinated Against Viral Illnesses?

The death of Prashant Sreekumar made headlines across Canada when the 43-year-old father of three died in the emergency room of Edmonton’s Grey Nuns hospital after waiting for eight hours with chest pains.

Recently, there have been other reports of preventable deaths in Alberta ERs. Alberta doctors have called the emergency room situation a disaster, citing a tsunami of seasonal respiratory illnesses that have overwhelmed hospitals and led to crowded emergency departments.

Widespread vaccination for common respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19 and the flu, would help to relieve the pressure on hospitals. Yet vaccination rates for seasonal illness are falling across Canada. Our research shows that conflicting messages across levels of government and skepticism about whether the vaccines work may be helping to fuel the emergency-room surge.

This winter is not the first bad virus season in Alberta, nor is it the first time we’ve seen patients die waiting for care. During the 2022–23 viral illness season, a “tripledemic” of viruses rolled across the country, as COVID-19, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) circulated simultaneously.

Our research showed how this tripledemic also slammed working parents trying to maintain their jobs while they and their children were infected over and over again.

This year could prove even worse. The 2025–26 season marks a new height in influenza cases, rising above a three-season high. Hospitals across the country have been flooded with patients, and burned-out health-care workers have been putting in extra shifts.

Despite all of this—and the overwhelming research that shows influenza vaccines keep people out of the hospital—fewer Canadians are getting vaccinated. With declining seasonal vaccination rates each year, Canada now falls far short of the vaccination coverage needed to protect at-risk groups such as seniors or people with chronic illness, which is 80%.

Who do Canadians trust on health care?

Our research explored parental decision-making in Alberta during the tripledemic to understand why, or why not, people get themselves and their kids vaccinated for COVID-19 and influenza. Using Viewpoint Alberta survey data, we found that who parents trust and the messages governments provide around vaccination strongly influence whether they and their kids get shots.

During the pandemic, parents in Alberta faced conflicting messages from governments. Despite the promotion of vaccination by the federal government and public health agencies, the provincial United Conservative Party government took a strong stance against enforcing COVID-19 protective measures. For those who trusted the provincial government, this essentially negated any pro-vaccination messaging provided by other institutions.

Our study found that those who trusted the federal government as a source of health information were more likely to have vaccinated their children for COVID-19 than those who supported the Alberta government’s messaging. The same was true for those who trusted Alberta Health Services and the Chief Medical Officer of Health. Those who placed their trust in the elected UCP government had much lower vaccination rates.

Trust is important, but it’s not the only factor keeping seasonal vaccination rates low. The question of who is perceived to benefit from vaccination also shaped parents’ decisions.

Are seasonal vaccines worth the trouble?

In addition to looking at survey data, we also interviewed parents to better understand how they made their decisions regarding seasonal vaccination for themselves and their children.

We were surprised to learn that after repeated viral illness infections, parents were actually less likely to vaccinate their children. Persistent illness contributed to a sense that infection was both inevitable and mild, often not even worth preventing. Some parents were also skeptical of the novelty of the COVID-19 vaccine compared to more established vaccinations, despite assurances from health-care professionals.

These parents did not hold “anti-vaxxer” beliefs; instead, they believed that the viral illness season was inevitable, and of little risk to themselves and their children. On top of this, the struggle to balance work and child care had already made it difficult for many families to get vaccinated. Because the vaccine didn’t prevent infections altogether, many parents believed it was not worth the added effort.

Canada needs a new approach

Canada does not have the resources to continue this yearly severe illness cycle. Without better uptake of seasonal vaccines, we are doomed to repeat the same mistakes year after year, resulting in more needless deaths and health system crises.

Clear and consistent messaging is key, and the messages of provincial leaders must match those of the federal government. Our research shows that all levels of government have a role to play in building public trust in seasonal vaccines, and in making sure those shots are accessible to everyone.

Vaccines must be available freely, widely and early, without pre-booking and payment requirements.

The tragedy of patients dying while waiting for care in a busy emergency room illustrates the dangers of overcrowded facilities. Higher vaccination rates could help prevent respiratory illnesses from overwhelming hospitals. Our governments need to step up and step forward to build public trust and accessibility for seasonal vaccines.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.