A St. John's doctor talks about overcoming vaccine hesitation — and how to help others tackle their fears
CBC
Although Newfoundland and Labrador has a particularly high COVID-19 vaccination rate, nearly 13 per cent of the province's eligible population has yet to receive a single dose.
A quick glance through social media will reveal a range of reasons why some have chosen not to get vaccinated, from fear of side effects to distrust of the science behind vaccines.
Dr. Debra Bergstrom, a St. John's hematologist, understands where vaccine-hesitant people are coming from: she grew up in a family that chose not to get vaccinated.
In an interview with The St. John's Morning Show, Bergstrom discussed why she eventually chose to get vaccinated, and how to talk to friends and family who may still resist immunization.
Q: What did your parents think about vaccines when you were growing up in rural Alberta?
A: My parents did not agree with mandatory vaccines or with broad use of vaccines, and so we actually opted out in our family.… I was not vaccinated through my school years and neither were my siblings.… There was almost a sense of pride that we weren't going along with it just because everybody else did and we were thinking about it first.
Q: What convinced you that vaccines made sense, were important to have and were safe?