When a vaccine for COVID-19 is available to the public, six out of 10 Canadians think it should be mandatory, according to the latest survey by Leger.
The poll, conducted between April 24 and April 26 by analytics company Leger, surveyed 1,515 Canadians and 1,016 Americans.
The survey released Tuesday also asked Canadians and Americans how much they trusted health professionals, public health officials, government leaders, and the media.
When it came to trusting their primary caregiver, 93 per cent of Canadians and 84 per cent of Americans place faith in their professional opinion. Public health officials also scored high, with 84 per cent of Canadians and 71 per cent of Americans saying they trusted public health officials. Seventy-three per cent of Canadians said they believed Canada's top public health official, Dr. Theresa Tam. About 70 per cent of Canadians and 59 per cent of Americans trust the World Health Organization.
When it came to confidence in government leaders, Justin Trudeau had the trust of 56 per cent of Canadians, and 51 per cent of Americans. Eighty-five per cent of Canadians said they do not trust U.S. President Donald Trump.
The survey also asked whether respondents would support the government's use of location data on people's phones to ensure they were social distancing. The results were much more split, with 45 per cent saying they would support it compared to 48 per cent saying they would not.
Canadians were split on whether social distancing measures should be relaxed for those under the age of 65, while maintained for older Canadians. The results were relatively consistent across Canada, in Ontario, and the U.S.
This survey, like one released earlier this month, showed 98 per cent of Canadians are practicing social distancing.
Leger said the results of the survey have a margin of error +/- 2.51 per cent, 19 times out of 20.
