"Better late than never": PM Trudeau urges Canadians to get vaccinated

Canada’s vaccine uptake is among the highest in the world, but Prime Minister Justin Trudeau believes Canadians can do better.

At a press conference on Wednesday, Trudeau addressed Canadians who have not yet received their vaccines. He said that vaccine supply is no issue in the country for those getting their initial doses or their boosters.

“Please remember, we have enough doses for everyone to get vaccinated, to get their booster shots. So go do it,” he said.

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Minister of Health Jean-Yves Duclos said that vaccination rates in the province are encouraging, with 78% of Canadians of all ages having received their primary two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. Uptake for boosters is 35%, and for children aged five to 11, 48% have received their first dose.

Vaccination rate as of January 8, 2022/Government of Canada

While Duclos said that these numbers are encouraging, the vaccine rollout in Canada must continue to move faster.

“We must continue to accelerate our vaccination efforts to trend towards universal coverage,” said Duclos.

Trudeau, on the other hand, said vaccination rates among children aged five to 11 are not as high as he’d like them to be. The pediatric COVID-19 vaccine was authorize for use in Canada in late November.

“Vaccination rate for kids five to 12 is too low in Canada, which means not only our kids are vulnerable, but all of society,” he said. “Whether it’s teachers, whether it’s grandparents, whether it’s frontline health workers risking getting overwhelmed when those people start to get sick, we need to do what’s right.”

He offered words of encouragement to those who have not yet been vaccinated, calling on them to do what is right to help stop the spread of COVID-19.

“No matter how you may feel, that you’re late, better late than never,” he said. “It’s never too late to do the right thing.”

He also underscored the risks of not getting vaccinated, particularly that of developing severe disease.

“The health worker who will be helping you get vaccinated would much rather be giving you a vaccine than intubating you in the ICU. So please keep doing what is right,” said Trudeau.

Duclos echoed a similar message: even with the hope of an effective antiviral medication in Canada, COVID-19 vaccines protect against COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths.

“No drug, including Paxlovid, is a substitute for vaccination and following public health measures,” he said.