Indigenous Resilience and Vaccine Hesitancy: A Conversation with Dr. Jaris Swidrovich

In today's episode of Resolving Violence, we had the privilege of speaking with Dr. Jaris Swidrowich, an Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto's Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy and a trailblazer in Indigenous health and LGBTQ+ healthcare.

Dr. Swidrowich's  delves into the complexities of vaccine hesitancy among Indigenous populations in Canada, rooted in historical traumas and systemic discrimination. The conversation also highlights the importance of understanding Indigenous perspectives, and building trust within communities to address this hesitancy effectively.

Drawing from his wealth of experience, Dr. Swidrowich shares insightful strategies for reducing hesitancy, including culturally relevant communication and community-led vaccination clinics. He also emphasizes the need for genuine collaboration with Indigenous partners and calls for a fundamental shift in how service providers engage with Indigenous populations: to believe and validate Indigenous voices, knowledge, and experiences.

Tune in to gain valuable insights and practical approaches to supporting Indigenous populations in navigating healthcare decisions and combating vaccine hesitancy.

Learn More About Our Guest:
Dr. Jaris Swidrovich is an Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream  at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Toronto. He is a queer, Two Spirit, disabled Saulteaux and Ukrainian man and pharmacist from Yellow Quill First Nation. Dr. Swidrovich is the first and only self-identified Indigenous faculty member in pharmacy in Canada.

He received a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy (BSP) from the University of Saskatchewan and a post-baccalaureate Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) from the University of Toronto. His primary areas of research and practice include pain, HIV/AIDS, substance use disorders, 2SLGBTQ+ health, and Indigenous health. Dr. Swidrovich is also a PhD Candidate in Education at the University of Saskatchewan, where he is studying Indigenous Peoples’ experiences with pharmacy education in Canada.

To connect with Jaris, contact him at: [e-mail]

To learn more about Resolve SK, head to research-groups.usask.ca/resolve/