Community leaders urge remaining 45% of Toronto’s Indigenous to get vaccine

“Unfortunately, if they do catch it, they are going to suffer the worst,” Johnathan Whonnock told Global News. The Indigenous leader of the Kwakawka’wakw First Nation understands the elevated risk COVID-19 poses to his people. He also understands why many in his community are reluctant to get the vaccine.

“There’s been a lot of mistrust, a lot of talk about what the government’s intentions are, because it’s government implementation of the medication, and the government has never been upfront, honest and truthful with the First Nations people.”

According to a new report by Our Health Counts ICES Linkage Project from the Applied Health Research Centre of St. Michael’s Hospital, only 55 per cent of Indigenous people over the age of 15 in Toronto have been fully vaccinated — leaving about 32,000 people without protection. This finding runs counter to urban Indigenous people in Toronto getting faster access to the vaccines.

“I think it’s tied to the fact that one out of three First Nations, Inuit and Métis people living in the city of Toronto, doesn’t have a regular healthcare provider,” said Dr. Janet Smylie, a Métis family physician and the main author of the report.

“And of those that do, there still may be some gaps in a trusting relationship with those healthcare providers.”

Dr. Smylie, who also serves as the director of Well Living House, the Indigenous health research institute at St. Michael’s Hospital, said the mistrust is deeply rooted in a history and ongoing acts of abuse, racism and wrongdoings by the healthcare system against Indigenous communities. But she said it is leaving unvaccinated community members vulnerable.

“I’m worried it’s going to be a difficult winter unless we do everything we can to make sure that all of the 95,000 First Nations, Inuit and Métis people living in Toronto have access to trusted information source about vaccination.”

She predicts with the rise of more resistant variants and the gradual easing of restrictions, 30,000 partial or unvaccinated Indigenous people could become sick between now and May 2022.

Smylie is also Canada Research Chair in Advancing Generative Health Services for Indigenous Populations. To increase vaccine uptake among Indigenous groups, vaccine information needs to be disseminated “by the community, for the community,” she said.

“We still got some active colonial policies and legacies, so when it’s by community for community, somebody makes a choice to get tested, to find out more about the vaccine, or get vaccinated, as an act of asserting Indigeneity versus an act of accepting externally imposed systems and advice,” Smylie said.

“When we have access to community-run testing, good communication, information-sharing and community run vaccination, we can overcome some of those trust barriers.”

Smylie is also calling on the city to increase Indigenous representation in public health agencies to boost trust. In a statement to Global News, Toronto Public Health said it is working to understand barriers and meet the community needs to encourage residents to get vaccinated.

It has assigned two nurses to support Indigenous vaccination efforts and provided resources and funding for Indigenous-led vaccination initiatives.

As for Indigenous people who are hesitant, Dr. Smylie encourages them to reach out to organizations like Seventh Generation Midwives Toronto, Na-Me-Res Anishnawbe Health Toronto and the Auduzhe Mino Nesewinong (The Place of Healthy Breathing) where Indigenous community partners would be happy to address their questions and concerns.

“We’re going to always respect people’s individual and collective choices,” said Smylie. “But what I want is make sure everybody has the best information to make the best choice.”

Whonnock’s message for fellow community members is to protect themselves and the ones they love this winter.

“Protect yourself, get vaccinated,” said Whonnock. “It’s for you and the people you love. Most definitely, I love a lot of people and I would hate to think about what life would be like if they had to leave this world early because of COVID-19. So please, get vaccinated.”