Banin Hassan says there is only one reason she would consider getting another COVID-19 vaccine to boost her first two doses.
“If they make it mandatory and limit activities or travel from my life again, I would consider it because I like to travel,” said Hamilton, a 27-year-old consultant.
“Apart from that, there is nothing that would change my mind.”
Canadian government figures show that young adults lag behind other age groups in terms of support.  About 35 percent of people between the ages of 18 and 29 have received a third dose.  This amounts to 42 percent for people aged 30 to 39 years.  On average, 72 percent of Canadians 40 and older have received their own.
A Calgary-based doctor who has studied hesitant vaccines says he is not surprised that young adults are left behind.
“Even before the reminder, with the second and first installments, we saw a much lower intake in the 25th (group) compared to the community of 65 and over,” says Dr. Jia Hu, who leads a group that advises how to increase intake.
Hu is the CEO of 19 to Zero, made up of doctors, nurses, economists and other professionals, who aim to help governments, companies and communities across Canada build trust in vaccines.
“One thing that allowed us to have higher vaccine uptake rates in the 30 range was the vaccine orders, because I do not think there is any hesitation in this population (about the vaccines themselves),” says Hu.  “In this age group, people are less worried about COVID causing serious illness.  “Their commands let them live life again.”
Hassan’s partner, Humam Yahya, 28, acknowledges the benefits that vaccines provide in reducing serious illness, but disputes the need to continue receiving vaccines.
“You just get a souvenir every eight months or 10 months and there is no expiration date,” he says.  “You just get these vaccines… and I’m sure they have great benefits, but we also don’t know the long-term side effects.”
He says that at first he was afraid to take COVID-19 because he has asthma.
“I was very protective.  “But then a lot of friends who were really affected by COVID, their side effects and what they had was not at all close to what I thought it would be, so I lost a lot of fear there.”
Hassan added that some distant family members died early in the pandemic.  Most recently he observed close family members and friends who had COVID-19, but with mild symptoms.
“My father has kidney failure and is taking his fourth dose.  I fully understand that he has to do this because his health is a little more at risk.  I would encourage him to keep taking it.  “For me, I do not think COVID is a high risk at this point.”
She and Yahya say that some friends, especially women, have had bad reactions to the vaccine, so the couple is wary of too many doses.
Liza Samadi, a 25-year-old pharmacy assistant from Hamilton, says she did not go for a souvenir because it is not mandatory.
“I was really lazy,” he says with a laugh.
I just kept going, but then I ended up sticking to COVID (in January), so I was, ‘Okay, I guess I’m pretty strong at the moment, so I don’t need to take it.’
Samadi says her whole family had COVID-19, so they are in no hurry to step up, but would go for a third shot if it became mandatory.
Hu says he “strongly, strongly, strongly” advises all Canadians to step up because protection from two doses decreases after about six months “and your reminder restores you immediately”.
He says that while the intake of souvenirs in young adults is very low, he does not believe that young people aged 18 to 29 with COVID-19 will flood hospitals.
But he adds: “I think some 25-year-olds can still be hospitalized and die?”  He says.
“Yes.”