CALGARY — Low vaccination rates in rural parts of Alberta are being driven by a culture of independence and skepticism, according to Rural Municipalities of Alberta (RMA) president Paul McLauchlin.
Several areas only have about 50 per cent of the eligible population immunized against COVID-19, while High Level’s vaccination rate is as low as 17 per cent.
McLauchlin said this isn’t only a trend happening in Alberta but across the country in rural locations.
“I think it has to do with this independent ethos and the skepticism found in the culture of rural places,” he said.
McLauchlin added a lot of people weren’t as impacted and were relatively unscathed at the start of the pandemic.
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“They may not have known a lot of people who had COVID-19, or, anecdotally, had a different interpretation of the risks related to COVID.”
In Ponoka County, where McLauchlin serves as the Reeve, 58.6 per cent of the eligible population is vaccinated with one dose, while 50.7 per cent are fully immunized.
While not necessarily surprised by the low vaccination rate, McLauchlin said he is concerned about the months ahead.
“I am scared for my community,” he said.
“Those low vaccination rates really show that my community is susceptible to COVID.”
McLauchlin said he wants to be compassionate to the unvaccinated because everyone has a different view of the current situation, but he urged people to seek information from trusted members of the community.
“I’ve seen a plethora of things coming from social media that are beyond false in some cases, which are actually frightening.
“We really need to start getting back to ‘who did you trust before COVID started?’ and go to them and find out if they can tell you the risks associated with vaccinations, access to vaccinations, and some of the concerns you have related to COVID.”
