Point Edward, ON – The results are in. Lambton Public Health (LPH) is excited to share the outcomes of two community surveys that were initiated with the goal of understanding the local impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, and identifying community needs.

During the fall of 2021, market research company Ipsos surveyed 800 Lambton County residents on behalf LPH. The full results of the Lambton Public Health COVID-19 Community Health Survey are now available on the LPH website.

“We are grateful to the community for participating and sharing their thoughts with us,” said Siobhan Churchill, Epidemiologist for Lambton Public Health. “The survey identified a number of needs in Lambton County, including mental health and financial supports for those who have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.”

The survey also found that self-rated mental health has continued to decline, especially among young people aged 18 to 34 who had the lowest self-rated mental health and have experienced a steep decline since prior to the pandemic. Residents with fair or poor mental health were twice as likely to say they were having a difficult time financially, compared to those with good mental health.

The survey also provided insight into residents’ perspectives on public health interventions used to control COVID-19. Most Lambton residents were supportive of public health interventions such as vaccine passports (71%), and additional lockdown measures if COVID-19 cases began to overwhelm hospitals (72%). When asked about COVID-19 vaccines, residents who said they were unvaccinated tended to be under age 45, are less worried about getting COVID-19, and are less trustful of public health authorities.

Results from the survey regarding the planned vaccination of children aged 5 to 11 were also promising. “We’re excited to report that 6 in 10 parents surveyed by Ipsos said they were likely to vaccinate their child in this age group when they become eligible,” said Churchill.

When asked in an online survey about where they would prefer to have their child vaccinated, most parents said a family-friendly community clinic, or a clinic at their child’s school was preferred. Parents who said they were unlikely to vaccinate their child generally believed in vaccines, but were concerned about potential side-effects of the COVID-19 vaccine for their child.

Based on these valuable insights from the community, LPH is planning to offer family-friendly COVID-19 vaccine clinics, as well as clinics in some schools. After school and weekend hours will be made available in order to accommodate families, and educational resources are being developed in order to address parents’ concerns about COVID-19 vaccines for children. While the vaccine rollout for children under 12 years of age is on hold until approval and direction is received from Health Canada and the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI), LPH is preparing by securing clinic locations and pre-scheduling clinic dates.

“We know that many parents have been waiting for the vaccine to be approved for this age group, and we look forward to seeing families at the clinics,” said Crystal Palleschi, Supervisor of Health Protection for Lambton Public Health. “LPH will be offering youth friendly COVID-19 vaccine clinics throughout the County once the provincial rollout is announced.  We are also working with our partners in primary care and local pharmacies to ensure that parents and families have access to COVID vaccines in a range of settings and locations.”

Complete survey results are available on the LPH website, including:

• Lambton Public Health COVID-19 Community Health Survey Report
• Data Brief: Local survey results to inform the COVID-19 vaccine rollout for children aged 5 to 11
• Infographic: Local survey results to inform the COVID-19 vaccine rollout for children aged 5 to 11

For the latest updates on the vaccine rollout, a schedule of upcoming vaccination clinics, and a list of local pharmacies who are offering COVID-19 vaccines, please go to getthevaccine.ca.

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Please contact:
LPH-media-inquiries@county-lambton.on.ca