he pandemic left Canadians with “increased distrust of government and science,” says a Public Health Agency report. Less than a quarter of people surveyed, 22 percent, said they were more likely to trust federal agencies.

“In discussion around how their trust in information sources had been affected by their pandemic experience, there were few who indicated their trust in any source had increased and many who indicated having lost trust,” said an Agency report The Impact Of The Pandemic Experience On Future Vaccine-Related Intentions And Behaviour.

“Some non-health care professionals felt less trust in one level of government or another,” wrote researchers. “This much was echoed by health care professionals who indicated their patients’ trust in at least one level of government had waned. Health care professionals explained information from the government was fast-evolving, not always clear and at times contradictory.”