Canadian Officials Question Reliability of US Health Institutions Amid Vaccine Misinformation
Canadian officials have raised concerns about the reliability of US health and science institutions for accurate information, particularly regarding vaccines, due to misinformation linked to the Trump administration.
In December, a US panel appointed by Kennedy voted to remove the CDC's longstanding recommendation that all newborns receive the hepatitis B vaccine. Additionally, in November, the CDC updated its website under Kennedy's direction to state that studies have not ruled out a connection between infant vaccines and autism, a claim disputed by public health experts.
Canada's health minister, Marjorie Michel, expressed that US health institutions can no longer be trusted as reliable partners and noted that some Canadians might be influenced by Kennedy's views.
The issue has gained urgency in Canada following a severe measles outbreak, with over 5,000 cases nationally and the loss of measles elimination status in November, with Ontario at the center.
Compounding the problem, Meta's restriction on sharing news in Canada has been criticized by immunologist Dawn Bowdish for hindering public health messaging.
A 2021 national survey revealed that 2.1% of Canadian two-year-olds were unvaccinated, up from 1.7% in 2019, citing challenges such as access issues and lack of a family doctor. A December Leger poll indicated that while 74% of Canadians trust vaccines, hesitancy is rising due to safety concerns and government mistrust, with 17% of those lacking confidence relying on US government websites for vaccine information.
Experts suggest that Canada could respond by enhancing international public health collaboration and leading health surveillance efforts, as US institutions are currently seen as faltering. Some scholars attribute increasing mistrust to domestic factors, including the erosion of social safety nets and events since 2022.
