Perspectives on Vaccination Among Métis Nation of Ontario Citizens Who Remain Unvaccinated

Background: From the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the potential impact on Indigenous (First Nations, Métis and Inuit) communities in Canada was a major concern. Evidence from previous pandemics, particularly the 2009 influenza H1N1, suggested that more cases and poorer outcomes among Indigenous people was likely. There was also concern about the barriers to vaccination that might be experienced by Indigenous people, a “priority population” for vaccination. Due to effective prioritization, rates of vaccination among MNO citizens were higher than among other Ontarians. However, the MNO sought to understand reasons behind non-vaccination. This study was designed to consider non-vaccination decisions through the reflections of a sample of unvaccinated MNO citizens.Methods: A small sample of six Métis individuals who had chosen not to receive the COVID-19 vaccine was recruited in Spring 2022 using referral sampling. Semi-structured interviews were conducted online. Major topics included general views about COVID-19 and the vaccine, Métis-specific perspectives on vaccination, reasons for not receiving the vaccine, and adherence to public health measures. Deductive analysis of the audio-recorded discussions was conducted using NVivo software. The analysis was framed using the “5C” framework of vaccine hesitance/confidence: collective responsibility, calculation complacency, constraints, and confidence (Betsch et al., 2018).Results: Respondents reported that there had been few constraints to their being vaccinated. In general, participants were not supportive of COVID-19 vaccines, and cited safety concerns as the primary reason, due to insufficient research and lack of evidence to support their use based on the rapid development and implementation. Participants also reported low confidence in government and media. Many felt that Indigeneity and past historical traumas and issues should have been a significant factor in consideration of the vaccine and vaccination programming. We interpret these in the context of a 6th “C”: colonialism­­­, and its implications for future pandemic response.