The CEO for the Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance says many of the people who have not been vaccinated have concerns about the vaccine.
And Andrew Williams says it's important that those concerns are addressed.
Williams says one of the things the health care system has to do is make sure that the correct information is highlighted because the internet is inundated with opinions and observations.
“One of the things we have to do as a health system is make sure that we vet information and we get out the information that is correct," said Williams. "And if you have certain view or opinion to start with, it's not hard to get that validated, whether it's scientifically proven or not.”
Williams was one of the guest panelists on a recent webinar hosted by the Gateway Centre for Excellence in Rural Health.
He suggests it's critical for people looking for information to consider the source of the information they're getting.
“In the context of vaccines, there's just a ton of information out there and it's hard for people to weed through and know what's right and what isn't and through the pandemic there's been changing positions on different things and I think if you're inclined to not feel comfortable absent a lot of information, it's a hard space to be in,” added Williams.
“And we're seeing that in our local hospitals. That doesn't mean that if you are vaccinated you won't get sick, but the percentages when you look at the number of people who are currently in hospitals, the number that are in ICU, it is very, very, very much skewed to the unvaccinated side.”