0:00:01.475,0:00:02.204 Welcome back. 0:00:02.300,0:00:06.740 Most Canadians won't need convincing that[br]a COVID vaccine will be worth taking 0:00:07.009,0:00:07.759 once it arrives. 0:00:07.898,0:00:10.858 But, as you just herd, [br]many Canadians have questions. 0:00:11.149,0:00:12.759 So, to answer some of ours, 0:00:12.811,0:00:15.841 Dr. Cora Constantinescu, [br]an infectious disease specialist 0:00:15.934,0:00:18.834 who works at the vaccine hesitancy clinic 0:00:18.980,0:00:21.460 at the Alberta Children’s Hospital[br]in Calgary. 0:00:21.641,0:00:25.021 And Dr, I didn’t even know [br]that a place such as your even existed. 0:00:25.064,0:00:27.724 I mean, who gets referred to you, exactly? 0:00:28.125,0:00:33.585 We have made it [br]into a more of a streamline process 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and have actually going out [br]in the physician community 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and told them that we are here to support them[br]as they refer the patients into us. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And then, do you see it as your job 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to sort of convince people to get vaccinated? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I see it as my job to support people [br]as they’re making the decision to vaccinate. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 So, how does that conversation sound? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I mean, where do you even begin? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I star every time reminding myself 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that at the heart of each [br]and every vaccine hesitancy appointment, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 there is a parent trying 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to make the best decision they can[br]for themselves and for their family. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And it actually takes [br]quite a lot of courage to come in 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 because they’re battling[br]a lot of fear and misinformation, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and overall, a lack of trust. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 So we spend quite a lot of time [br]building rapport and trust with each family 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 understanding more about them [br]so we can actually personalize 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and tailor the communication and the message[br]that we give them about the vaccinations. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And then, [br]we work closely with public health 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 where they go ahead [br]and actually administer the vaccine. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And that’s striking, that you would say [br]there is this kind of lack of trust. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I mean, how would you even begin to advice? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I don’t know, like a provincial government, [br]a local government, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 or the federal government[br]to create that or to build that. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Yeah, so, I really think that [br]when we think about trust, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 we have to think at the personal level,[br]and at the population level. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And at the personal level, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 it goes back to this idea [br]of putting it into perspective 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and understanding [br]what the benefit of the vaccine 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and the dangers of the diseases to each of us. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 So, when it comes to COVID, for example, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I would encourage every Canadian [br]to think of what this pandemic 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and what they have done for this pandemic 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and what this virus[br]has taken away from them. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 So, it might be that [br]some have lost loved ones, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 others have lost their social interaction,[br]the ability of the kids to go to school. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 There is a cost to each and everyone of us 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and therefore, there is a benefit[br]to each and everyone of us. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And then, we all have to go [br]and have to take this vaccine 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 so we can show [br]that we’re indeed in this together. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And then, when we move[br]at the population level, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 it’s really important [br]to start building this trust. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 It’s a hard task to take on 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 because you have to consider[br]the complexity of human behavior, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 especially about COVID-19. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And our health care institutions[br]can't do this alone. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I don’t want this to come across[br]as a callous question, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 but, how do you know what you do works? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Because you are not the one [br]administering vaccines, right? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Do you track your success rate,[br]so to speak? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 So, depending on how we look at it. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 It’s anywhere between about 50 to 65 %[br] 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that patients will go ahead and have a vaccine [br]after they’ve attended our clinic. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And in the vaccine hesitancy world [br]actually that’s quite successful. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 This has been an interesting conversation,[br]to be sure. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Dr Constantinescu,[br]thank you so much for your time. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 It was a real pleasure to be here,[br]thank you for having me.