The Ontario government has released a new ad campaign aimed at boosting vaccination rates among young people as the latest data show vaccination rates once again levelling off.

In a statement Friday, Premier Doug Ford’s office said they “want to make clear the dire consequences of deciding not to get the shot, namely a dramatically higher likelihood of those who are unvaccinated ending up in the hospital or intensive care unit.”

The ads point out that unvaccinated people are 24 times as likely to be in hospital and 43 times more likely to be in the intensive care unit compared to fully vaccinated people in Ontario.

Ontario vaccine ad

The ads come as first doses once again level off following a bump earlier this month.

Ontario gave out its highest number of first-dose COVID-19 shots in weeks – more than 21,000 daily doses – a day after the government announced that it would implement a vaccine passport system. Those numbers remained elevated for about a week or so but have now fallen back to around 15,000 or so first shots per day.

Vaccination rates remain lowest among the youngest demographics.

Just 67 per cent of those 12-29 are fully vaccinated in Ontario, while around 78 per cent have had at least one COVID-19 shot.

That’s up just slightly from Aug. 31 when close to 75 per cent of people in the same demographic had had at least one shot.

Across all eligible demographics in Ontario (those 12 and up), 79 per cent are fully vaccinated while close to 85 per cent have had at least one dose.

First doses in Ontario

Health officials have said that vaccination makes a person far less likely to contract COVID-19 and greatly helps to reduce the chance of severe illness if a person does become infected.

Officials have also expressed concern that lower vaccination rates among younger people, who tend to be the most social of all demographics, could contribute to elevated transmission in the wider community.

Ford’s office said the ad campaign will run on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and websites, as well as on billboards and transit shelters across Ontario.

The campaign comes as students return to classes across the province and just days before the province’s vaccine passport system comes into effect. As of Wednesday, Ontarians will be required to show proof of vaccination in order to get into bars, restaurants, gyms and other settings.