COVID-19: Strong support for mandatory masks and vaccines in schools: Poll
As thousands of K-12 students stream back into B.C. schools next week, a national poll shows a majority of Canadians supports mask requirements and mandatory COVID-19 vaccination for teachers, school staff, even students.
If a jab of COVID-19 vaccine is on the back-to-school requirement list, that measure would be well-received by Canadian parents, found a new Angus Reid Institute poll released Friday.
Almost three-quarters of parents with kids aged 12 to 17 said vaccines should be mandatory for teachers and school staff. That sentiment was higher for parents of younger kids aged five to 11, at 81 per cent.
No province in Canada requires COVID-19 vaccination for school staff. However, some, including B.C. and Ontario, have mask mandates in place for the fall.
Support for mandatory vaccination for students was also high, according to the poll. Sixty-five per cent of parents with kids aged 12 to 17 and 71 per cent of parents with children aged five to 11 believe vaccines should be required for kids going back to school.
Despite broad support for the measures, a significant minority does not want either masks or vaccine mandates in schools.
Ten per cent of parents polled in B.C. rejected masks and vaccine requirements for teachers and staff — the lowest in the country. That view is highest in the Prairies, where 31 per cent said neither masks or vaccines should be mandated among school staff.
Despite concerns over COVID-19 transmission in classrooms, the majority of parents, or 77 per cent, said they are comfortable with kids going back to school. That comfort level decreases for parents of younger students but remains high at 64 per cent.
