But the remaining 31.5% is the focus of epidemiologist Raywat Deonandan.

“People who haven’t received the first dose yet, [it’s] It might be because they don’t want it or they can’t access it. Those who don’t want it care about me,” he said.

“We care about people who have not been vaccinated because they are susceptible people. In epidemiology, susceptible people drive the possibility of waves.”

Deonadan is also an associate professor of health sciences at the University of Ottawa. He said that Canada’s goal should be to vaccinate at least 85% of the population. Otherwise, the status quo is likely to expose us to the wave of COVID-19 in the future.

Who are the sticklers?

Some adherents may not be vaccinated because they are too young or are not eligible for other reasons (such as allergies or health conditions). There are also people who belong to what Deonandan calls “hardcore anti-vaccine people, for them this is a religion.” He said those people may not be able to shake.

The remaining fencers are the focus of public health and community organizers.

For various reasons, these people have not yet been vaccinated-they may not have a car, or have access to childcare services, or they may be dealing with language and technical barriers that prevent them from using the health system. Some of them are homeless or marginalized, which reduces their trust in government agencies.

Take the vaccine to the streets

To ensure that everyone who is willing to be vaccinated can get the vaccine, advocates such as David Chapman have stepped up their actions.

Chapman is the executive director of Resilience Montreal, a shelter that accepts customers who are prohibited from entering other facilities due to the use of substances.

Many clients of the shelter have mental health challenges and addiction issues, which make them particularly vulnerable to COVID-19. This is why it is important to bring vaccines to this community.

He tried his best to brief the nurses in advance and let them know what would happen.

“Today, one of our clients argued with a nurse at the clinic that this is a sign of the end of the world and therefore vaccinations should be avoided,” he said.

“The poor nurse dated him for a while, but I think she finally decided that this argument may be difficult to win.”

Although not everyone is willing to roll up their sleeves, the three clinics hosted by Resilience have all been successful, with approximately 150 injections performed since January.

Chapman said: “Our goal is for the highest percentage of the homeless population to receive this dose.”

Use TikTok to share bite-sized information

In Ontario, the provincial government is shifting its focus from public clinics to doctors’ offices and pharmacies in an attempt to reach more people

More than 50% of adults in the province are fully vaccinated, and officials estimate that another 10% to 15% of adults in the province may be willing to be vaccinated.

On the ground, the province has changed its strategy of reaching these people, and Dr. Naheed Dosani has been turning to social media to convey information.

Dosani, a palliative care doctor in Toronto, said: “It’s just to meet people where they are.”

Dosani has been sharing information about vaccines and the pandemic on his TikTok channel, Twitter and Instagram.

“I have always believed that a large number of people cannot listen to the daily press conferences that air every day at noon,” he said.

“It is very important that we create digestible information for people on platforms they know and love.”

Overcome distrust

Other obstacles that cause some people to not sign up include cultural and language differences-some people are not familiar with how to use the health care system because they are new to Canada, while others do not trust their institutions because of systemic racism. history.

Sharon Nelson, vice chairman of the Montreal Jamaica Association, said: “This is a system of mistrust for years and centuries.”

This distrust contributed to Higher rates of vaccine hesitation among black Canadians Compared with the masses.

She said a large part of their job is to encourage thoughtful dialogue and help people get the right information when they encounter problems.

“We are making people sensitive to this, but not necessarily trying to convince them,” Nelson said.

As part of this work, the Montreal Jamaica Association invited some PhD students to give lectures on vaccines and how they work to their communities. She said the key is to get community members to get information from people and organizations they can trust.

“It’s not just about whites, Asians, or indigenous people. This thing is affecting all of us, and we can all play a role,” she said.

Nelson has also been working to find solutions for Montrealers who are undocumented and want to be vaccinated but are worried that they may be required to provide documents.

Vaccination anytime, anywhere: Vaccivan in Montreal

Fears like this are the exact reason why Montreal sent Vaccivan-a mobile vaccination clinic that has been going to Montreal’s community centers, parks and places of worship in an attempt to increase the number of people in communities with lower vaccination rates.

“if you do not have [health] The card is not a problem. We will provide you with vaccines,” said Lucie Tremblay, Director of Nursing and Vaccinations at CIUSSS du Centre-Ouest-de-l’Ile-de-Montréal, a health agency in the Western Region of Montreal.

Tremblay said that all kinds of people use Vaccivan for various reasons, but the biggest benefit is convenience.

“The first day we went out, there was no announcement, maybe half an hour later, there will be a lineup,” she said. “People call their friends. This is a social gathering and also a vaccination clinic.”

For her, the top priority is to work hard to provide vaccines to people between 12 and 35 years old.

“As a young man, you usually have family obligations-you are working, you need to go to the nursery to pick up your children, and you have a million things to do,” she said.

“For example, if you see Vaccivan during a picnic in the park, this is a good opportunity to get vaccinated.”

This proactive effort will make a difference in helping the country reach a point where Canadians can finally remember COVID-19.

“Will we reach the point where we have herd immunity? We will reach the point where we don’t have to think about this disease anymore, public health can deal with the small social disturbances it causes,” said Denandan, an epidemiologist.

“We have a sufficient supply of vaccines. This is a question of political will and public participation.”