Wave 2.5

COSMO Canada

Implementing the WHO Behavioural Insights tool on COVID-19 to inform response efforts, including policy, interventions and communications.

Background

From April 2020 to November 2021, Impact Canada led the implementation of the World Health Organization (WHO) Behavioural Insights (BI) Tool on COVID-19 in the Canadian context. This study - COVID-19 Snapshot Monitoring (COSMO Canada) - was conducted in collaboration with the Public Opinion Research Team at the Privy Council Office and the Public Health Agency of Canada. Insights from COSMO Phase One informed the federal response to COVID-19 and enabled whole-of-government decision making to meet the specific, changing needs of citizens throughout the pandemic.

In February 2022, Impact Canada launched the second phase and will continue to monitor the evolving pandemic response context with a new sample of Canadians and a new Advisory Committee.

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Phase 2 Methodology

With a longitudinal design, the study follows 2,000 participants recruited from an online panel over eight waves of data collection. Respondents are a representative mix of Canadian adults aged 18 years and older and results are weighted using 2016 Statistics Canada census data to mirror the population distribution in Canada. For more information on the study methodology, please visit the COSMO Canada pre-registration page.

Key Insights

Proximity to COVID-19 & Public Health Measures: In October, 54% of respondents reported having been - or likely having been - infected with COVID-19 at some point in the pandemic (up from 31% in June and 49% in August). Fewer than half of respondents reported often or always practicing public health measures such as wearing a face mask when it is not mandatory (31% in October, down from 40% in August), taking steps to improve air quality (34% in October, down from 40% in August) and avoiding public places and events (28% in October, down from 37% in August). Over a quarter of respondents who experienced symptoms of COVID-19 reported never staying home from work or school while sick.

Adult Vaccination: 2/3 respondents who were vaccinated longer than 6 months ago consider themselves up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccines. Relatedly, over half of respondents with two doses consider themselves to be up-to-date.​ Only 30% of respondents think that it is realistic for Canadians to get a COVID-19 vaccine every 6 months, while 46% think that it is realistic for Canadians to get vaccinated once per year.

Pediatric Vaccination: Among parents who have not yet vaccinated their children aged 0-4 (18% received at least one dose in the COSMO sample), 51% do not intend to vaccinate their children, 23% want to wait a bit and 17% want to vaccinate their children ASAP. Parents’ worries about their children being infected with COVID-19 have decreased over time (29% reported being somewhat, very or extremely worried in October compared to 40% in February).

Sources of Information & Trust: Trust in information sources for COVID-19 has not shifted significantly since data collection began. 53% of respondents reported completely or moderately trusting the Canadian federal government, while 38% reported moderate or complete distrust. News consumption about COVID-19 decreased between April and June 2022 and remained relatively stable in August and October.

COVID-19 Knowledge & Misinformation: Large portions of the sample indicated uncertainty about the accuracy of true statements about COVID-19 – suggesting that there are knowledge gaps on COVID-19 information. A minority of respondents indicated that false statements about COVID-19 were ‘very accurate’ or ‘somewhat accurate’. These portions ranged between 5% and 18%, depending on the statement.

Mental Health & Wellbeing: Life satisfaction decreased slightly between August and October. Younger respondents (18-34) reported lower life satisfaction and poor mental health indicators compared to older respondents.

Pandemic Outlook & Recovery: Over half of the sample (59%) indicated that the worst of the COVID-19 crisis is behind us. One third indicated that day-to-day life currently resembles pre-pandemic times. Over time, most of respondents’ health-related worries have declined, with the exception of worry about healthcare systems being overloaded, which has increased. Compared to worries about COVID-19, worries about inflation, increasing divisiveness in society and climate change are higher priority.


Considerations

Data Collected: October 5-26, 2022

Sample Size: 2,000

When interpreting the COSMO results, it is useful to keep in mind the context of the data collection period, which may have influenced the responses of survey participants. Prior to and during the Wave 2.5 data collection period:

  • Most Canadians were vaccinated. As of October 9, 2022, approximately 90% of the Canadian population aged 18+ had received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, 89% had at least two doses, 59% had at least three doses, and 18% had four doses.
  • Among children aged 12-17, 85% had at least one dose, 81% had at least two doses, and 17% had three doses. Among children aged 5-11, 54% had at least one dose, 42% had two doses, and 4% had three doses. 7% of children four and under had one dose and 1% had two doses. 
  • On October 7, Health Canada authorized the Pfizer COVID-19 bivalent vaccine targeting the Omicron BA.4/BA.5 subvariants. The Moderna bivalent vaccine targeting the Omicron BA.1 subvariant was approved in early September.
  • On October 1, most federal government travel restrictions, such as testing, vaccine requirements and mask requirements were lifted.

Proximity to COVID-19 & Public Health Measures

Half report having been infected with COVID-19 at some point

In Wave 2.5, 54% of respondents reported having been - or likely having been - infected with COVID-19 at some point in the pandemic (up from 49% in Wave 2.4). The portion of the sample reporting not having been infected with COVID-19 decreased from 69% in February to 41% in October. Unvaccinated respondents (74%) and respondents from Alberta (60%) were more likely have been infected with COVID-19 at some point. Respondents aged 55+ were less likely (38%) to report having been infected.

Figure 1. Are you or have you been infected with COVID-19? [Asked to all respondents (n=2,000)]

 
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    Table 1. Are you or have you been infected with COVID-19? [Asked to all respondents (n=2,000)]

     

1/5 respondents knew someone who died of COVID-19

19% of respondents reported personally knowing someone who died from COVID-19. Respondents aged 18-34 were less likely to know someone who died of COVID-19 (15%) compared to those aged 35-54 (19%) and those aged 55+ (22%). Residents in Manitoba and Saskatchewan were more likely to know someone who died (28%) compared to the national average. Those in Ontario (16%) and Atlantic Canada (16%) were less likely to know someone who died of COVID-19.

Figure 2. Do you know anyone personally who has died of COVID-19? [Asked to all respondents (n=2,000)]

 
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    Table 2. Do you know anyone personally who has died of COVID-19? [Asked to all respondents (n=2,000)]

     

1/3 have been tested for COVID-19 in the past month

In Wave 2.5, 30% of respondents reported having been tested for COVID-19 in the past month, either using a rapid (27%) or PCR test (3%). 15% of respondents reported that they had administered a rapid test on someone else in the past month. Testing practices were quite stable between June and October.

Figure 3. In the past four weeks, have you… [Asked to all respondents (n=2,000)]

 
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    Table 3. In the past four weeks, have you… [Asked to all respondents (n=2,000)]

     

Testing practices varied by province

Respondents in Ontario (30%) and Atlantic Canada (32%) were more likely to report using a rapid test in the past month, while respondents from Manitoba/Saskatchewan (20%) and British Columbia (22%) were less likely to get tested.

Figure 4. In the past four weeks, have you been tested with a rapid test? (by region) [Asked to all respondents (n=2,000)]

 
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    Table 4. In the past four weeks, have you been tested with a rapid test? (by region) [Asked to all respondents (n=2,000)]

     

Common reasons for using rapid tests are having symptoms or being exposed to someone with symptoms of COVID

The majority of respondents (61%) who used a rapid test in the past four weeks did so because they were experiencing symptoms of COVID-19. 28% took a test because they were exposed to someone who likely had COVID-19. Smaller portions of the sample took tests when attending gatherings, interacting with someone who was at high-risk, or going to work/school/visiting a long-term care home.

Figure 5. You've indicated that you took a rapid test in the past four weeks. Why did you take one or more tests? [Asked to respondents who used a rapid test in the past month (n=542)]

 
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    Table 5. You've indicated that you took a rapid test in the past four weeks. Why did you take one or more tests? [Asked to respondents who used a rapid test in the past month (n=542)]

     

Pharmacies are the most common place to access rapid tests

Half of those who used a rapid test in the past month indicated that they got it at a pharmacy. Other respondents got their rapid tests at retail stores (18%), through family and friends (12%), from provincial or municipal distribution sites (10%), at schools (7%) or through their employer (6%). Access points varied by province.

Figure 6. You've indicated that you took a rapid test in the past four weeks. How did you access or obtain your rapid test(s)? [Asked to respondents who used a rapid test in the past month (n=542)]

 
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    Table 6. You've indicated that you took a rapid test in the past four weeks. How did you access or obtain your rapid test(s)? [Asked to respondents who used a rapid test in the past month (n=542)]

     

Rapid test access points varied significantly by province

Rapid test access points varied by province, with those from BC (68%), AB (70%) and QC (77%) indicating in high numbers that they accessed tests at pharmacies compared to 34% in ON, 14% in MB/SK, and 6% in ATL. Residents of MB/SK (28%) and ON (38%) were much more likely than other provinces to obtain their rapid tests at retail stores. Residents of AB (20%) and MB/SK (21%) were more likely to access their rapid tests through family and friends than those from other provinces. Residents of ATL were most likely to access their rapid tests at provincial or municipal distribution sites.

Figure 7. You've indicated that you took a rapid test in the past four weeks. How did you access or obtain your rapid test(s)? [Asked to respondents who used a rapid test in the past month (n=542)]

 
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    Table 7. You've indicated that you took a rapid test in the past four weeks. How did you access or obtain your rapid test(s)? [Asked to respondents who used a rapid test in the past month (n=542)]

     

Adherence to public health measures is low

Fewer than half of respondents reported often or always practicing public health measures such as wearing a face mask when it is not mandatory (31%), taking steps to improve air quality (35%) and avoiding public places and events (28%). Respondents aged 55+ and women were more likely to report often or always practicing public health behaviours. Younger respondents, men, and residents of Alberta were less likely to report practicing these measures. The relatively low proportion of respondents voluntarily practicing health measures represents the latest data point in a declining trend over time.

Figure 8. In the past month, how often have you used the following measures to avoid getting COVID-19 or to prevent the spread of COVID-19? [Asked to all respondents (n=2,000)]

 
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    Table 8. In the past month, how often have you used the following measures to avoid getting COVID-19 or to prevent the spread of COVID-19? [Asked to all respondents (n=2,000)]

     

Adherence to public health measures has declined over time

In general, the portions of respondents who report often or always practicing public health measures have decreased over time. For example, 57% of respondents reported often or always wearing a mask when it is not mandatory in April, compared to 31% in October.

Figure 9. In the past month, how often have you used the following measures to avoid getting COVID-19 or to prevent the spread of COVID-19? [% Often or Always; asked to all respondents (n=2,000)]

 
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    Table 9. In the past month, how often have you used the following measures to avoid getting COVID-19 or to prevent the spread of COVID-19? [% Often or Always; asked to all respondents (n=2,000)]

     

Most who wear masks do not use respirator-type masks

Among respondents who reported sometimes, often or always wearing a mask in the past month in mandatory or non mandatory settings (79% of the sample), 58% reported wearing procedural or surgical masks, 24% reported wearing non-medical masks and 19% reported wearing respirator-type masks. While respondents aged 55+ reported wearing masks in non-mandatory settings more frequently (44% reported often or always wearing a mask), only 19% reported wearing respirator-type masks.

Figure 10. Which of the following types of masks do you wear most often? [Asked to respondents who sometimes, often or always wore a mask in the past month (n=1559)]

 
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    Table 10. Which of the following types of masks do you wear most often? [Asked to respondents who sometimes, often or always wore a mask in the past month (n=1559)]

     

1/3 reported having had symptoms of COVID-19 in the past month

29% of respondents reported having experienced symptoms of COVID-19 in the past month. This number was lower among those aged 55+ (18%) and higher among those aged 35-54 (32%) and 18-34 (40%).

Figure 11. In the past month, did you have any symptoms of COVID-19 (e.g. fever, cough, sore throat or runny nose)? [Asked to all respondents (n=2,000)]

 
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    Table 11. In the past month, did you have any symptoms of COVID-19 (e.g. fever, cough, sore throat or runny nose)? [Asked to all respondents (n=2,000)]

     

Over 1/4 of those with symptoms of COVID-19 reported never staying home from work or school

Among respondents who reported having experienced symptoms of COVID-19 in the past month, 32% always stayed home from work or school while sick and 19% stayed home some of the time. 30% reported that they always self-isolated while sick. 22% reported that they always wore a mask while sharing a space with others (including members of their household) and 13% isolated from members of their household while sick.

Figure 12. In the past month, how often did you practice the following health measures while experiencing symptoms of COVID-19? [Respondents who have been sick with symptoms of COVID-19 within the past month (n=650)]

 
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    Table 12. In the past month, how often did you practice the following health measures while experiencing symptoms of COVID-19? [Respondents who have been sick with symptoms of COVID-19 within the past month (n=650)]

     

2/3 of those with symptoms of COVID-19 reported having used a rapid test in the past month

Among respondents who reported having experienced symptoms of COVID-19 in the past month, 64% reported having used a rapid test, compared to 15% of those who did not have any symptoms.

Figure 13. In the past four weeks have you… [Respondents who have been sick with symptoms of COVID-19 within the past month (n=588) and respondents who did not have any symptoms (n=1,350)]

 
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    Table 13. In the past four weeks have you… [Respondents who have been sick with symptoms of COVID-19 within the past month (n=588) and respondents who did not have any symptoms (n=1,350)]

     

Participation in gatherings, events and travel has increased over time

In general, participation in gatherings, events and travel increased wave-to-wave between February and June and remained relatively stable between June and October. Older respondents and women were less likely to report participating in the listed activities. For example, 75% of respondents aged 55+ reporting visiting with family and friends indoors compared to the average, 83%.

Figure 14. In the past two weeks, have you… [Asked to all respondents (n=2,000)]

 
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    Table 14. In the past two weeks, have you… [Asked to all respondents (n=2,000)]

     

Over half would support the reintroduction of many public health measures, if necessary

The majority of COSMO respondents indicated that they would support the introduction or reintroduction of many public health measures should they be required. The most supported measures included mask requirements (66%), proof-of-vaccination requirements (55-57%) and gathering limits (54%). The most opposed measures were business closures (61% opposition), school/daycare closures (49% opposition) and stay-at-home orders (51% opposition). Respondents aged 55+ and women were much more likely to support the hypothetical reintroduction of measures.

Figure 15. In the future, if the following public health measures had to be implemented or reintroduced to prevent a widespread outbreak, would you support them? [Asked to all respondents (n=2,000)]

 
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    Table 15. In the future, if the following public health measures had to be implemented or reintroduced to prevent a widespread outbreak, would you support them? [Asked to all respondents (n=2,000)]

     

Over time, support for reintroducing public health measures if needed has gradually declined

Over time, support for reintroducing public health measures if needed has gradually declined for most measures.

Figure 16. In the future, if the following public health measures had to be implemented or reintroduced to prevent a widespread outbreak, would you support them? [% Support; Asked to all respondents (n=2,000)]

 
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    Table 16. In the future, if the following public health measures had to be implemented or reintroduced to prevent a widespread outbreak, would you support them? [% Support; Asked to all respondents (n=2,000)]

     

Over time, support for reintroducing proof-of-vaccination requirements has decreased but remains high

Over time, support reintroducing proof-of-vaccination requirements has decreased. However, a majority continue to indicate that they would support vaccine requirements if necessary to respond to a COVID-19 outbreak. Support for proof-of-vaccination requirements varies significantly by respondents' vaccination status, with those with fewer doses being less supportive of these measures.

Figure 17. In the future, if the following public health measures had to be implemented or reintroduced to prevent a widespread outbreak, would you support them? [% Support; Asked to all respondents (n=2,000)]

 
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    Table 17. In the future, if the following public health measures had to be implemented or reintroduced to prevent a widespread outbreak, would you support them? [% Support; Asked to all respondents (n=2,000)]

     

Over half say they will never or rarely wear a mask for reasons other than COVID-19

One third of respondents (32%) indicated that they would never wear a mask in public for reasons other than COVID-19. A similar portion (36%) reported that they never wore a mask for COVID-19 in the past month (36%). Just under half of respondents (48%) reported that they would sometimes, often or always wear a mask for reasons other than COVID-19. Respondents aged 55+ and women were more likely to report than they would often or always wear a mask.

Figure 18. In the future, how often will you wear a mask in public for reasons other than COVID-19 (e.g. during cold and flu season)? [Asked to all respondents (n=2,000)]

 
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    Table 18. In the future, how often will you wear a mask in public for reasons other than COVID-19 (e.g. during cold and flu season)? [Asked to all respondents (n=2,000)]

     

Adult Vaccination

Over time, intentions to get a 3rd dose have declined

In Wave 2.5, 20% of respondents with two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine indicated that they are likely to get a third dose. Over time, intentions to get a third dose of a COVID-19 vaccine have decreased, from 39% in February to 20% in October, while third dose uptake has not increased meaningfully.

Figure 19. If a third dose of a COVID-19 vaccine was available and recommended for you, how likely would you be to get it? [Asked to respondents who had two doses of a COVID-19 (n=365)]

 
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    Table 19. If a third dose of a COVID-19 vaccine was available and recommended for you, how likely would you be to get it? [Asked to respondents who had two doses of a COVID-19 (n=365) ]

     

Some respondents with 2 doses may be more likely to get a 3rd dose in certain scenarios

The top scenarios that respondents with two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine indicated would make them more likely to get a third dose were: if proof of a third dose were required for activities like travel (39%); if a new more severe variant of COVID-19 began to spread (34%); and if a new vaccine were available that better prevented infection (32%).

Figure 20. To what extent would each of the following hypothetical scenarios make you more or less likely to get a third dose of a COVID-19 vaccine? [Asked to respondents who had two doses of a COVID-19 (n=365)]

 
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    Table 20. To what extent would each of the following hypothetical scenarios make you more or less likely to get a third dose of a COVID-19 vaccine? [Asked to respondents who had two doses of a COVID-19 (n=365) ]

     

¾ of those with 3 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine intend to get a 4th

Three quarters (73%) of respondents with three doses of a COVID-19 vaccine indicate that it is likely that they will get a fourth dose. Intentions to get a fourth dose have decreased slightly over time. However, this is likely explained by an increase in fourth dose uptake. Since the beginning of data collection in February, intentions to get a fourth dose (among those with three) have been much stronger than intentions to get a third dose (among those with two).

Figure 21. If a fourth dose of a COVID-19 vaccine was available and recommended for you, how likely would you be to get it? [Asked to respondents who had three doses of a COVID-19 (n=898)]

 
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    Table 21. If a fourth dose of a COVID-19 vaccine was available and recommended for you, how likely would you be to get it? [Asked to respondents who had three doses of a COVID-19 (n=898): ]

     

New vaccines or the emergence of a more severe variant would motivate 4th dose uptake

The top scenarios that respondents with three doses of a COVID-19 vaccine indicated would make them more likely to get a fourth dose were: and if a new more severe variant of COVID-19 emerged (73%) and if a new vaccine were available that better prevented infection (73%) or targeted COVID-19 variants (66%).

Figure 22. To what extent would each of the following hypothetical scenarios make you more or less likely to get a fourth dose of a COVID-19 vaccine? [Asked to respondents who had three doses of a COVID-19 (n=688)]

 
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    Table 22. To what extent would each of the following hypothetical scenarios make you more or less likely to get a fourth dose of a COVID-19 vaccine? [Asked to respondents who had three doses of a COVID-19 (n=688): ]

     

Over half of individuals with two doses consider themselves up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccines

Over half of respondents with two doses considered themselves to be up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccines and an additional 12% were unsure. Among those with three doses, 68% considered themselves up-to-date on vaccines even though, for most, four doses would have been recommended by the time of data collection.

Figure 23. Do you consider yourself to be up-to-date on your COVID-19 vaccines? [Asked to respondents with at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine (n=1,813)]

 
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    Table 23. Do you consider yourself to be up-to-date on your COVID-19 vaccines? [Asked to respondents with at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine (n=1,813) ]

     

Two thirds of those who were vaccinated longer than 6 months ago consider themselves up-to-date

When asked whether they consider themselves to be up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccines, 65% of those who received their most recent COVID-19 vaccine longer than six months ago say they are up-to-date on their vaccines. Those who received their most recent COVID-19 vaccine within the last six months are highly likely to consider themselves up-to-date.

Figure 24. Asked to respondents with at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine (n=1,813) [Do you consider yourself to be up-to-date on your COVID-19 vaccines?]

 
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    Table 24. Asked to respondents with at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine (n=1,813) [Do you consider yourself to be up-to-date on your COVID-19 vaccines?]

     

More think it is realistic for Canadians to get a COVID-19 vaccine once a year vs. every 6 months

Using a split sample approach, half of respondents were asked whether it was realistic for Canadians to be vaccinated every 6 months and the other half of respondents were asked about every year. 46% of respondents thought that it was somewhat or extremely realistic to expect most Canadians to get a COVID-19 vaccine once a year, compared to 30% who thought every 6 months was realistic. Those who were unvaccinated (3%) or had two doses (15%) were much less likely to say that it was realistic for most Canadians to be vaccinated for COVID-19 every 6 months compared to those with three (29%) or four doses (46%).

Figure 25. Thinking about the next few years, how realistic is it to expect that most Canadians will choose to get a COVID-19 booster dose [every six months / once a year]? [Asked to all respondents: half were asked about every 6 months (n=1,000), half were asked about every year (n=1,000)]

 
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    Table 25. Thinking about the next few years, how realistic is it to expect that most Canadians will choose to get a COVID-19 booster dose [every six months / once a year]? [Asked to all respondents: half were asked about every 6 months (n=1,000), half were asked about every year (n=1,000)]

     

1/3 think that bivalent vaccines are more effective than original COVID-19 vaccines

36% of respondents thought that COVID-19 vaccines targeting the omicron variant (bivalent vaccines) are a lot or somewhat more effective than vaccines targeting the original strain of COVID-19. 40% thought that new vaccines are equally effective to original vaccines. 6% thought that new vaccines were less effective and 18% thought that both types of vaccines are equally ineffective.

Figure 26. Do you think that new COVID-19 vaccines targeting the omicron variant are more or less effective than earlier vaccines targeted at the original strain of COVID-19? [Asked to all respondents (n=2,000)]

 
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    Table 26. Do you think that new COVID-19 vaccines targeting the omicron variant are more or less effective than earlier vaccines targeted at the original strain of COVID-19? [Asked to all respondents (n=2,000)]

     

½ of respondents with 2 doses think bivalent vaccines are less effective or equally ineffective as original vaccines

Perceptions on the effectiveness of bivalent vaccines varied significantly by respondents’ vaccination statuses. The vast majority of unvaccinated respondents (88%) think that new vaccines are less or equally as ineffective as the original COVID-19 vaccines. Respondents with two doses were split on whether bivalent vaccines were effective or ineffective, with 53% indicating that they were equally or more effective than original vaccines and 57% saying they were less effective or equally ineffective. A large majority of respondents with three or more doses indicated that bivalent vaccines were equally or more effective than original vaccines.

Figure 27. Do you think that new COVID-19 vaccines targeting the omicron variant are more or less effective than earlier vaccines targeted at the original strain of COVID-19? [Asked to all respondents (n=2,000)]

 
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    Table 27. Do you think that new COVID-19 vaccines targeting the omicron variant are more or less effective than earlier vaccines targeted at the original strain of COVID-19? [Asked to all respondents (n=2,000)]

     

Only 8% say that it is difficult to access vaccines in their area

Most respondents indicated that vaccines were very (58%) or somewhat easy (24%) to access in their area. Those living in small cities or rural areas were slightly more likely to say that vaccines are difficult to access in their area (10%) compared to those in large cities (6%) or suburbs (6%).

Figure 28. How easy or difficult is it for you to access COVID-19 vaccines in your area? [Asked to all respondents (n=2,000)]

 
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    Table 28. How easy or difficult is it for you to access COVID-19 vaccines in your area? [Asked to all respondents (n=2,000) ]

     

Under half plan to get a flu shot this year

Just under half of respondents (44%) indicated that they are likely to get – or already got – a flu vaccine in the 2022-2023 season, while 51% indicated that they are unlikely to do so. Flu vaccine intentions varied significantly by COVID-19 vaccination status. Only 6% of respondents who are unvaccinated for COVID-19 indicated that they are likely to get a flu shot, while 17% of those with two doses, 59% of those with three doses, 80% of those with four doses, and 83% of those with five doses indicated that they are likely to get or already got a flu shot.

Figure 29. How likely are you to get a flu shot during the 2022-2023 flu season? [Asked to all respondents (n=2,000)]

 
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    Table 29. How likely are you to get a flu shot during the 2022-2023 flu season? [Asked to all respondents (n=2,000) ]

     

Pediatric vaccination

30% of parents with children aged 12-17 with 2 doses intend to get their children another dose

Among parents with children aged 12-17 with two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, 30% intend to get their child a third dose ASAP or after some time. 46% do not intend to get their child a third dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Figure 30. Has/have any of your child(ren) aged 12-17 received a COVID-19 vaccine? [Asked to respondents with at least one child aged 12-17 (n=217)]

 
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    Table 30. Has/have any of your child(ren) aged 12-17 received a COVID-19 vaccine? [Asked to respondents with at least one child aged 12-17 (n=217) ]

     

Thinking about your child(ren) aged 12-17, will they receive a third dose of a COVID-19 vaccine?

Figure 31. Asked to respondents with child(ren) aged 12-17 who have received 2 doses (n=98)

 
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    Table 31. Asked to respondents with child(ren) aged 12-17 who have received 2 doses (n=98)

     

Parents who have not yet vaccinated their children aged 5-11 do not intend to

The vast majority (88%) of parents who have not yet vaccinated their children aged 5-11 indicate that they do not intend to.

Figure 32. Please indicate the extent to which you agree with the following statement: Now that a COVID-19 vaccine is recommended and available for my child(ren) aged 5-11, I will get them vaccinated. [Asked to respondents with at least one unvaccinated child aged 5-11 (n=92)]

 
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    Table 32. Please indicate the extent to which you agree with the following statement: Now that a COVID-19 vaccine is recommended and available for my child(ren) aged 5-11, I will get them vaccinated. [Asked to respondents with at least one unvaccinated child aged 5-11 (n=92) ]

     

Majority of parents with children aged 5-11 with 2 doses of vaccine intend to get their children 3rd dose

61% of parents who have already vaccinated their children aged 5-11 intend to get their child a third dose either as soon as possible or after some time. A quarter (25%) of parents in this group do not intend to get their child a third dose.

Figure 33. Thinking about your child(ren) aged 5-11, will they receive a third dose of a COVID-19 vaccine if it is recommended? [Asked to respondents with at least one child aged 5-11 with two doses of a vaccine (n=104)]

 
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    Table 33. Thinking about your child(ren) aged 5-11, will they receive a third dose of a COVID-19 vaccine if it is recommended? [Asked to respondents with at least one child aged 5-11 with two doses of a vaccine (n=104)]

     

Half of parents do not intend to vaccinate their children 4 and under and a quarter want to wait

Vaccines were approved for children aged 6 months to 4 years in July 2022. Since then, 18% of parents with children in this age group have vaccinated their children*. Of parents who haven’t vaccinated their children in this age group, 51% indicated that they do not plan to vaccinate their children and 40% of parents intend to vaccinate their children aged 6 months to 4 years, either as soon as possible or after some time. Between waves 2.4 and 2.5, the portion of parents who do not intend to vaccinate their children increased (from 44% to 51%, perhaps explained by uptake). The portion who intend to vaccinate their children as soon as possible continued to decrease (25% to 17%), with an increase in those who want to wait a bit (17% to 23%). *Note: Vaccine uptake in COSMO respondents was higher than real world uptake (7% of those aged 6 months to 4 years were vaccinated by Oct. 9, 2022).

Figure 34. Please indicate the extent to which you agree with the following statement: Now that a COVID-19 vaccine is recommended and available for my child(ren) aged 6 months to 4 years, I will get them vaccinated. [Asked to respondents with at least one child aged 0-4 (n=139)]

 
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    Table 34. Please indicate the extent to which you agree with the following statement: Now that a COVID-19 vaccine is recommended and available for my child(ren) aged 6 months to 4 years, I will get them vaccinated. [Asked to respondents with at least one child aged 0-4 (n=139)]

     

Worries about children being infected with COVID-19 have decreased over time

Worries about children being infected with COVID-19 have decreased since the beginning of data collection. In October, only 9% of parents indicated that they were very or extremely worried about their children contracting COVID-19, compared to 25% in February. 20% of parents were somewhat worried and 71% reported being not at all or slightly worried about their children getting COVID-19.

Figure 35. How worried are you about your child(ren) contracting COVID-19? [Asked to with at least one child at home (n=474)]

 
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    Table 35. How worried are you about your child(ren) contracting COVID-19? [Asked to with at least one child at home (n=474)]

     

Over 2/3 parents report that their children have had COVID-19

71% of parents reported that their children have or likely have been infected with COVID-19 at some point in the pandemic. Relatedly, 73% of parents report that they have or likely have been infected themselves, compared to 48% of respondents without children at home.

Figure 36. Have any of your children been infected with COVID-19? [Asked to with at least one child at home (n=454)]

 
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    Table 36. Have any of your children been infected with COVID-19? [Asked to with at least one child at home (n=454)]

     

Sources of Information & Trust

The most trusted sources of information on COVID-19 are scientists and healthcare workers

The majority of respondents trust (4-5 out of a scale of 5) scientists (79%), healthcare workers (78%) and international health authorities (65%) for information on COVID-19. Trust in the federal government (62%) and provincial/territorial governments (59%) is also relatively high. Less than half of respondents reported trust in newspapers and other journalism and television news for information on COVID-19. There were no significant changes in trust in information sources between February and October 2022.

Figure 37. To what extent do you trust or distrust the following sources for information on COVID-19? [% trust (4-5 on a 5-point scale); Asked all respondents (n=2,000)]

 
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    Table 37. To what extent do you trust or distrust the following sources for information on COVID-19? [% trust (4-5 on a 5-point scale); Asked all respondents (n=2,000)]

     

COVID-19 news consumption has been steady since June

News consumption about COVID-19 decreased between April and June 2022 and remained relatively stable in October.

Figure 38. How closely, if at all, have you been following news on COVID-19 over the past month? [Asked all respondents (n=2,000)]

 
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    Table 38. How closely, if at all, have you been following news on COVID-19 over the past month? [Asked all respondents (n=2,000)]

     

Half of respondents reported trusting the Government of Canada

53% of respondents reported completely or moderately trusting the Canadian federal government, while 35% reported moderate or complete distrust. Women reported higher trust (59%) than men (47%). University educated respondents reported higher levels of trust (63%) than those with college (48%) or high school education (49%). Respondents from Alberta (44%) and Manitoba and Saskatchewan (42%) reported lower trust relative to other provinces.

Figure 39. Please indicate whether, in general, you trust or distrust the Canadian federal government. [Asked all respondents (n=2,000)]

 
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    Table 39. Please indicate whether, in general, you trust or distrust the Canadian federal government. [Asked all respondents (n=2,000)]

     

Half agree that the federal government is competent enough to deal with COVID-19

Just under half of respondents disagreed that the federal government listens to what ordinary Canadians think about COVID-19 (47%) and that the government spends money efficiently on COVID-19 initiatives (44%). 42% agreed that the federal government is too influenced by industry regarding COVID-19. However, just under half agreed that the federal government is competent enough to deal with COVID-19 (47%).

Figure 40. Please indicate your level of agreement or disagreement with the following statements about the Canadian federal government: [Asked all respondents (n=2,000)]

 
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    Table 40. Please indicate your level of agreement or disagreement with the following statements about the Canadian federal government: [Asked all respondents (n=2,000)]

     

COVID-19 Knowledge & Misinformation

Large portions are unsure whether factual statements about COVID-19 are accurate

The majority of respondents accurately rated most true statements about COVID-19 as somewhat/mostly/completely accurate. ​ However, large portions (24-43%) indicated that they were unsure whether the statements were true or false. Some respondents rated true statements as inaccurate. For example, 15% of respondents rate the statement “studies have repeatedly found that COVID-19 vaccination does not increase the risk of miscarriage” as somewhat or very inaccurate. ​

Figure 41. To the best of your knowledge, how accurate or inaccurate are the claims in each of the following statements? [Asked all respondents (n=2,000)]

 
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    Table 41. To the best of your knowledge, how accurate or inaccurate are the claims in each of the following statements? [Asked all respondents (n=2,000)]

     

A minority of respondents indicated that false statements about COVID-19 were accurate.

A minority of respondents indicated that false statements about COVID-19 were somewhat/mostly/completely accurate. These portions ranged between 8% and 15%, depending on the statement. ​ For example, 11% of respondents rated the following statement as at least somewhat accurate: “regular use of ivermectin reduces the risk of death from COVID-19 by 92%.” Large portions of the sample were unsure about the accuracy of some of the statements. For example, 31% were unsure whether the following statement was true or false: “many European countries are banning new COVID-19 booster vaccines for younger adults and children because they are unsafe.”

Figure 42. To the best of your knowledge, how accurate or inaccurate are the claims in each of the following statements? [Asked all respondents (n=2,000)]

 
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    Table 42. To the best of your knowledge, how accurate or inaccurate are the claims in each of the following statements? [Asked all respondents (n=2,000)]

     

Mental Health & Wellbeing

Slight decrease in respondent life satisfaction from August

In Wave 2.5, 70% of respondents reported that they were satisfied with their lives as a whole. 7% were neither satisfied nor dissatisfied and 23% were dissatisfied. Life satisfaction decreased 5 percentage points between August and October, and dissatisfaction also increased slightly. Younger respondents (18-34) reported slightly lower life satisfaction (64%) compared to those aged 35-54 (69%) and those aged 55+ (75%).

Figure 43. All things considered, how satisfied are you with your life as a whole? [Asked all respondents (n=2,000)]

 
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    Table 43. All things considered, how satisfied are you with your life as a whole? [Asked all respondents (n=2,000)]

     

More than 2/3 respondents report good mental and physical health

70% of respondents reported that their mental health is excellent, very good or good. Younger respondents were less likely to report good mental health compared to older respondents. Residents of Ontario were also less likely to report good mental health compared to other provinces. 67% of respondents reported that their physical health is excellent, very good or good. In general, the percentages of respondents reporting good or better mental and physical health have decreased slightly since August.

Figure 44. In general, would you say your mental/physical health is: [Asked all respondents (n=2,000)]

 
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    Table 44. In general, would you say your mental/physical health is: [Asked all respondents (n=2,000)]

     

Young respondents are more likely to report negative wellbeing indicators

24% of respondents reported feeling stressed most or all of the time in the past two weeks. An additional 22% reported feeling burnt out most or all of the time. Younger respondents and women were more likely to report experiencing these negative indicators most or all of the time in the past two weeks.

Figure 45. In the past two weeks, how often have you felt… [Asked all respondents (n=2,000)]

 
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    Table 45. In the past two weeks, how often have you felt… [Asked all respondents (n=2,000)]

     

Pandemic Outlook & Recovery

In October, respondents were split on whether we were experiencing a wave of COVID-19

In October, 37% of respondents thought that we were experiencing a wave of COVID-19 while 41% thought that we were not and 22% were unsure. Respondents aged 55+ were more likely to think that we were in another wave (40%) compared to those aged 35-54 (38%) and 18-34 (32%). Women were also more likely to think that we were in another wave (44%) compared to men (30%).

Figure 46. Do you think that we are currently experiencing a wave of COVID-19 cases? [Asked to all respondents (n=2,000)]

 
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    Table 46. Do you think that we are currently experiencing a wave of COVID-19 cases? [Asked to all respondents (n=2,000)]

     

More than half of respondents believe the worst of COVID-19 crisis has passed

In October, there was an increase in the portion of respondents who indicated that the worst of the crisis is behind us (59%) compared to the previous wave of data collection in August (47%). There was also a strong decrease in the portion that indicate they don’t know whether the worst is behind us or yet to come from August (33%) to October (20%). Consistent with previous waves of data collection, 11% of respondents indicate that they do not consider COVID-19 to be a crisis. Men (14%) were more likely than women (8%) to say that COVID-19 is not a crisis. Residents of Alberta were also more likely than residents of other provinces to think that COVID-19 is not a crisis.

Figure 47. Thinking of the COVID-19 pandemic, do you think the worst is behind us or to come? [Asked all respondents (n=2,000)]

 
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    Table 47. Thinking of the COVID-19 pandemic, do you think the worst is behind us or to come? [Asked all respondents (n=2,000)]

     

One third of respondents think life already resembles pre-pandemic times

Overall, respondents were quite split on when they think life will resemble pre-pandemic times. 28% think that life will never resemble pre-pandemic times, 33% think that life already resembles pre-pandemic times, 21% think that it will be longer than six months, and 7% think it will be one to six months. Over time, there has been a significant increase in those who think life already resembles pre-pandemic times (from 3% in February to 33% in October). Respondents aged 18-34, men, and residents of Quebec were more likely to think that life already resembles pre-pandemic times. Respondents aged 55+, women and residents of Ontario were more likely to say that life will never resemble pre-pandemic times.

Figure 48. When do you expect that day-to-day life in Canada will resemble pre-pandemic times? [Asked all respondents (n=2,000)]

 
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    Table 48. When do you expect that day-to-day life in Canada will resemble pre-pandemic times? [Asked all respondents (n=2,000)]

     

Cost-of-living and societal divisiveness are top-of-mind concerns, COVID impact on economy less so

Two thirds of COSMO respondents (70%) indicated that they are worried about inflation or cost-of living increases. Respondents aged 55+ and residents of BC and QC were less likely to be worried about inflation. 59% indicated that they are worried about increasing divisiveness and/or conflict in society, down from 63% in August. Respondents aged 18-34 and those with university education were more likely to be worried about increasing divisiveness in society. Concerns over the impact the COVID-19 on the economy continues to trend downwards, from 63% of respondents in February to 36% in October.

Figure 49. At the moment, how much do you worry about the following topics: [% worried (4-5 out of 5); Asked all respondents (n=2,000)]

 
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    Table 49. At the moment, how much do you worry about the following topics: [% worried (4-5 out of 5); Asked all respondents (n=2,000)]

     

Respondents remain concerned about the healthcare system being overloaded

59% of respondents report being very or extremely worried about the healthcare system being overloaded. Older respondents (64%) and women (65%) were more likely to be worried about the health system being overloaded. 37% of respondents were worried about the pandemic’s impact on the mental health of Canadians. Older respondents (27%) and men (32%) were less worried about mental health impacts.

Figure 50. At the moment, how much do you worry about the following topics: [% worried (4-5 out of 5); Asked all respondents (n=2,000)]

 
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    Table 50. At the moment, how much do you worry about the following topics: [% worried (4-5 out of 5); Asked all respondents (n=2,000)]

     

Most COVID-related worries, aside from health system overload, have declined over time

Over time, most health-related worries have declined. The only exception is the portion of respondents worried about the healthcare system being overloaded, which increased in August and remained steady at 59% between August and October.

Figure 51. At the moment, how much do you worry about the following health-related topics: [Asked all respondents (n=2,000)]

 
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    Table 51. At the moment, how much do you worry about the following health-related topics: [Asked all respondents (n=2,000)]

     

Next steps

The Impact Canada Behavioural Science team will use a series of statistical analyses to look for patterns in the data, allowing us to answer questions like:

  • How do intentions to vaccinate change over time?
  • How do changes in trust in government information sources affect changes in intentions to vaccinate over time?
  • How do individual-level characteristics (e.g., gender, baseline knowledge or anxiety, infection status) affect changes in intentions to vaccinate over time?
  • How do interactions between gender and trust in government information sources affect changes in intentions to vaccinate over time?

Contact us

To learn more or explore working with us, please contact the Impact and Innovation Unit of the Privy Council Office.

Email us