Tens of thousands of Quebec students still not vaccinated against COVID-19, some refusing altogether
Data from public health shows 30,000 high school students in Montreal have yet to receive the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, while others are flat out refusing to get it.
These are the latest findings in a report that oversees vaccination rates for every high school on the Island of Montreal. The vaccine is only available for those aged 12 and up.
At some schools, less than a quarter of the student body has been inoculated. With just a month to go before the start of the next academic year, officials say they're worried.
As of July 19, Marie-Claire Academy in Kirkland is boasting 100 per cent of its students have received at least one dose -- but that's just 18 students.
West Island College's English section is also reporting a high vaccination rate among students, with 92.5 per cent receiving at least one dose.
However, Yeshiva Academy states just 16 per cent of its students have received a first shot, while Mesivta School has just under 13 per cent and Belz Community High School's English section has 6.6 per cent.
Public health officials state they intend to contact thousands of students who have yet to be vaccinated to give them information and help them get an appointment if they want one.
They say they've already spoken to about 2,000 students, with 30 per cent wanting to be inoculated and 15 per cent saying they absolutely do not want the vaccine.
The Quebec government states that in order for things to go back to normal ahead of the upcoming academic year, it needs 75 per cent of students to be vaccinated.
Right now, in Montreal, just 19 per cent of people between the ages of 12 and 17 are fully vaccinated; province-wide that number is 26 per cent.
Public health says it plans on opening a vaccination clinic this weekend at La Ronde to encourage more young people to get their shot.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.