Black Canadians more likely to be hesitant about COVID-19 vaccines, survey suggests

OTTAWA — Black Canadian leaders say governments must do more to help overcome vaccine hesitancy in their communities.

Toronto orthopedic surgeon Dr. Ato Sekyi-Otu, leader of the health-care task force of the Black Opportunity Fund, says a new survey confirms unpublished public health data that hesitancy is higher among Black Canadians than among white or non-Black racialized people.

The online survey by the Innovative Research Group in partnership with the Black Opportunity Fund and the African Canadian Civic Engagement Council cannot be given a margin of error.

It found that as of early June, when more than 60 per cent of Canadians had received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, Black Canadians surveyed were far less likely to report getting their first shot, and far more likely to express hesitation at doing so than white Canadians.