Should childhood vaccinations be mandatory? Almost 70% of Canadians think so, according to a new poll

Measles cases are on the rise in Canada, prompting a recent survey that revealed nearly 70 per cent of Canadians believe childhood vaccinations should be mandatory. The Angus Reid Institute conducted the survey, polling nearly 1,700 Canadian adults online in May. The respondents were asked if proof of immunization should be required for children to attend daycare or schools. A significant 69 per cent of participants agreed that vaccinations should be mandatory, showing an increase from the previous year’s figure of 55 per cent.

Maxwell Smith, a bioethicist and associate professor at Western University’s School of Health Studies, noted that the survey results indicate a shift in public opinion towards mandating childhood vaccinations. The ongoing measles outbreak in Canada, particularly in Ontario, where 1,938 cases have been reported in 2025, may have influenced people’s views on this issue. Smith emphasized that when the lives of children are at risk due to a preventable disease outbreak, it can serve as a tipping point for individuals to support mandatory vaccinations.

In Ontario and New Brunswick, proof of vaccination is already required for children to attend school. However, parents can obtain exemptions for medical, religious, or philosophical reasons by filling out a form. In Ontario, parents seeking an exemption must also watch a vaccine education video and agree to remove their children from school or daycare in the event of a vaccine-preventable disease outbreak.

Premier Doug Ford of Ontario expressed reluctance towards enforcing mandatory vaccinations, stating that it is challenging to compel parents to vaccinate their children. The Angus Reid poll also revealed concerns about the provincial government’s ability to handle a measles outbreak. In Ontario, 27 per cent of respondents expressed no confidence in the government’s response capabilities, while in Alberta, 37 per cent of respondents lacked confidence in their province’s ability to manage a measles outbreak.

The survey results did not include responses from Nunavut, Northwest Territories, or Yukon due to low representation in the sample. While online surveys like this one do not have a margin of error, a randomized sample of the size of the Angus Reid poll would typically yield a margin of error of +/- 2 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

Overall, the survey highlights the growing support for mandatory childhood vaccinations in Canada amidst the measles outbreak. Public opinion seems to be shifting towards prioritizing immunization to protect children and communities from preventable diseases.