According to an internal memo from the Privy Council Office, Canadians concealed their vaccination status when questioned by federal pollsters. .Researchers attributed this behaviour to the “social desirability” of claiming full compliance with public health orders, especially during a period when unvaccinated individuals faced restrictions on public services and the risk of potential job losses..The Privy Council memo from March 2022 was made public through Access to Information. .According to Blacklock’s Reporter, federal pollsters discovered 68% of Canadians reported receiving a booster shot, while the department of Health figures indicated the actual rate was 55%..“There are a few possible reasons for the discrepancy between the survey results and official figures for booster uptake,” said the memo Considerations on the Discrepancy Between Booster Dose Uptake. .Reasons included “social desirability, where respondents tend to answer questions in a manner that will be viewed favourably by others,” said the memo..“Some respondents may be counting ‘intention to be vaccinated’ or having an appointment as having been vaccinated,” wrote researchers. .The memo added that “the most institutionally mistrustful are less likely to participate in surveys and they are the least likely to be vaccinated.”.According to researchers, a consistent trend existed for people to “overstate” their vaccination status..Pollsters “observed a similar trend during the initial rollout of vaccines in the spring of 2021 where the proportion of respondents who indicated they had received a vaccine was roughly 20 points too high,” said the memo. .“Similarly, the same pattern emerged during the summer of 2021 where the proportion of respondents who said they had received two doses was 10 points too high.”. Public Hid Vax Status .The Privy Council, in separate “psychographic” research, found Canadians were sharply divided over vaccine mandates. Some 22% were “lukewarm about getting the COVID-19 vaccine” while 11% expressed “very strong mistrust of all institutions,” including the department of Health, according to a March 12, 2021 study Psychographic Segmentation Of Canadians Regarding COVID-19..Another 29% were enthusiastic patients who “say government restrictions have not gone far enough.” Twenty-one per cent were “afraid personally of getting the virus,” said the Psychographic..Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, before the Psychographic study, told reporters on Jan. 14, 2021, “there are a broad range of reasons why someone might not get vaccinated” and said he opposed “extreme measures that could have real divisive impacts on community and country” like vaccine mandates..On Feb. 11, 2021, Trudeau stated letting Canadians and their doctors make decisions regarding the COVID-19 vaccine was preferable..“You’re not taking medical advice from me,” said Trudeau..After conducting a Psychographic study, the prime minister called a federal election on Aug. 15, 2021, framing it as a referendum on vaccine mandates..“The answer to tyranny is to have an election,” Trudeau told reporters..The prime minister subsequently described unvaccinated Canadians as unfit parents “putting at risk our kids,” “extremists who don’t believe in science,” “misogynists” and “racists.”
