Earlier this year, Canada became the only western country to make the “Top Ten” list in a dubious category: confirmed cases of measles. More than 3,500 Canadians—many of them infants and children—experienced a disease that was supposedly eradicated in 1998.

For decades, scientists have pointed to the Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccine as the best way to stave off this particular virus. However, years of people “doing their own research” online, celebrities attempting to provide medical advice and a long-debunked article that linked the MMR vaccine to autism have contributed to setbacks.

Research Co. tracks the perceptions of Canadians on vaccines using three questions. The data we collected last month shows clear progress on one aspect, but a rise in disinformation on another.

Across the country, 72 per cent of Canadians told us that vaccinations for childhood diseases—such as polio or measles—should “definitely” or “probably” be mandatory in their province. Fewer than one in four Canadians (23 per cent) would leave the decision up to parents.

© BIV