Story by Jane Stevenson • POSTMEDIA
A woman shows an app confirming her COVID vaccination status.
© Provided by Toronto Sun
Vaccine passports in Ontario and Quebec only marginally increased the number of COVID vaccinations administered to people in each province, says a peer-reviewed paper published in the CMAJ Open journal.
“Absolute gains were small given that the provinces already had relatively high vaccination coverage,” says the paper.
Around 82% of Ontario and Quebec residents over the age of 12 were already vaccinated when the passports were announced in 2021.
The paper, by McGill University research assistant Jorge Luis Flores, found the passports — required as proof of vaccination in indoor spaces before they were discontinued in spring 2022 — accounted for an increase of vaccination rates of less than 1% in both provinces — 0.9% in Quebec, and 0.7% in Ontario.
“The impact of vaccine passports was largest among younger age groups in both provinces,” resulting in an increase of vaccine rates of 2.3% in Quebec and 1.3% in Ontario for people ages 12 to 17, said the study. Youths in that age range made up the least vaccinated group in both provinces.
The study also says vaccine passports had the smallest impact on those 60 and over — the most vaccinated age group — increasing rates by 0.1% in both provinces.
Researchers found in Quebec, the passports increased vaccine coverage in lowest-income neighbourhoods by 1.1%, compared with 0.7% in the wealthiest areas
“Findings suggest that other policies are needed to improve vaccination coverage among lower-income and racialized neighbourhoods and communities,” said the paper.
In Ontario, the increase was between 0.7%-0.8% across all incomes.
Vaccine passports in Ontario and Quebec only marginally increased the number of COVID vaccinations administered to people in each province, says a peer-reviewed paper published in the CMAJ Open journal.
“Absolute gains were small given that the provinces already had relatively high vaccination coverage,” says the paper.
Around 82% of Ontario and Quebec residents over the age of 12 were already vaccinated when the passports were announced in 2021.
The paper, by McGill University research assistant Jorge Luis Flores, found the passports — required as proof of vaccination in indoor spaces before they were discontinued in spring 2022 — accounted for an increase of vaccination rates of less than 1% in both provinces — 0.9% in Quebec, and 0.7% in Ontario.
“The impact of vaccine passports was largest among younger age groups in both provinces,” resulting in an increase of vaccine rates of 2.3% in Quebec and 1.3% in Ontario for people ages 12 to 17, said the study. Youths in that age range made up the least vaccinated group in both provinces.
The study also says vaccine passports had the smallest impact on those 60 and over — the most vaccinated age group — increasing rates by 0.1% in both provinces.
Researchers found in Quebec, the passports increased vaccine coverage in lowest-income neighbourhoods by 1.1%, compared with 0.7% in the wealthiest areas
“Findings suggest that other policies are needed to improve vaccination coverage among lower-income and racialized neighbourhoods and communities,” said the paper.
In Ontario, the increase was between 0.7%-0.8% across all incomes.
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