Executive Summary
Prepared for the Public Health Agency of Canada
Supplier Name: Advanis Inc.
July 2023
This report presents the methodological details for the Mpox Immunization Coverage Survey among 2SLGBTQI+ and men who have sex with men (MSM), conducted by Advanis Inc. on behalf of the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC). The survey was administered among 5,683 members of the adult Canadian general public, between March 10 and April 9, 2023.
Ce rapport est aussi disponible en français sous le titre: Enquête sur la couverture vaccinale contre la variole simienne chez les 2SLGBTQI+ et les hommes ayant des rapports sexuels avec des hommes : rapport méthodologique
This publication may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes only. Prior written permission must be obtained from the Public Health Agency of Canada. For more information on this report, please contact:
Health Canada, CPAB
200 Eglantine Driveway, Tunney's Pasture
Jeanne Mance Building, AL 1915C
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0K9
Catalogue Number:
H14-443/2023E-PDF
International Standard Book Number (ISBN):
978-0-660-49428-9
Related publications (registration number: 22-14):
Catalogue number: H14-443/2023F-PDF (Methodological Report, French)
International Standard Book Number (ISBN): 978-0-660-49429-6 (French)
©His Majesty the King in right of Canada, as represented by the Public Health Agency of Canada, 2023
With the emergence of the multi-country outbreak of mpox (formerly referred to as "monkeypox") in May 2022, Canada launched an unprecedented immunization campaign to help control the spread of the virus1. In particular, the vaccination campaign has targeted key, at-risk populations following the National Advisory Committee on Immunization's (NACI) guidance for prevention among 2SLGBTQI+ and men who have sex with men (MSM) communities, with some variance in the vaccination approach in provinces and territories. Currently, vaccination coverage estimates among these populations are unknown at the national level and surveillance information is required in order to monitor the mpox situation in Canada. This will help inform public health vaccination programs and prevention strategy initiatives.
The purpose of this survey was to provide information on mpox vaccine coverage for the 2SLGBTQI+ as well as MSM adult populations, and to help understand the knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs concerning mpox vaccines (e.g., vaccine effectiveness, vaccine safety, vaccine relevance). This includes exploring reasons for vaccine hesitancy and vaccine refusal and the impact this has on vaccine uptake as well as obstacles for non-vaccination of mpox. Its purpose was also to identify risk factors for transmission of mpox as well as these populations' willingness to limit high-risk activities amid the current mpox outbreak.
The survey applied a sex and gender-based analysis plus (SGBA+) lens, considering the multiple identities and contextual factors of 2SLGBTQI+ people or those who are MSM living in Canada2.
The primary objective of this surveillance survey was to establish an enhanced surveillance tool that will help gain a better understanding of mpox immunization coverage-related information for 2SLGBTQI+ and MSM adult populations living in Canada.
Specifically, this surveillance survey aimed to collect information on:
The second survey objective was to document the socioeconomic, cognitive, and motivational factors associated with low uptake of the mpox vaccine among these two (2) at-risk populations.
Data collection started March 10, 2023, and ended April 9, 2023, and was conducted by Advanis.
A sample of 27,747 Canadians aged 18 or older were called through the use of Advanis' General Population Representative Sample (GPRS) and invited to participate in an online survey. To reach members of the 2SLGBTQI+ population, recruitment was completed using targeting information Advanis had profiled within the GPRS database to ensure quota minimums were met. A total of 15,805 recruits agreed to participate and received an email or SMS inviting them to take part in the survey.
Of those invited, 5,721 answered the online survey. However, 35 were under 18 years old and 3 were removed from the data due to non-valid or inappropriate verbatim responses that made it impossible to identify their gender. Hence, 5,683 were considered to have completed the survey. Of those, 734 (12.9%) were non-heterosexual members of the 2SLGBTQI+ population, 47 (0.8%) were heterosexual members of the 2SLGBTQI+ population (e.g., a heterosexual transgender person) and 13 (0.2%) were heterosexual men who had male sexual partners in the last 12 months.
Survey results were weighted by age group, gender and sexual orientation. The results are based on responses from 5,683 Canadians across all provinces and territories. Recruitment ensured quotas were reached for key sub-populations to ensure statistical relevance and representativeness.
The contract value for this study was $132,136.55 (including HST).
1.5 Political Neutrality Requirement
I hereby certify as a Senior Officer of Advanis that the deliverables fully comply with the Government of Canada's political neutrality requirements outlined in the Communications Policy of the Government of Canada and Procedures for Planning and Contracting Public Opinion Research.
Specifically, the deliverables do not contain any reference to electoral voting intentions, political party preferences, standings with the electorate, or ratings of the performance of a political party or its leader.
Nicolas Toutant
Vice President, Research and Evaluation
Advanis
nicolas.toutant@advanis.ca