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. 2023 Sep 5;30(5):taad084.
doi: 10.1093/jtm/taad084.

Defining drivers of under-immunization and vaccine hesitancy in refugee and migrant populations

Anna Deal  1   2 , Alison F Crawshaw  1 , Jessica Carter  1 , Felicity Knights  1 , Michiyo Iwami  1 , Mohammad Darwish  3 , Rifat Hossain  3 , Palmira Immordino  3 , Kanokporn Kaojaroen  3 , Santino Severoni  3 , Sally Hargreaves  1
Affiliations

Defining drivers of under-immunization and vaccine hesitancy in refugee and migrant populations

Anna Deal et al. J Travel Med. .

Abstract

Background/objective: Some refugee and migrant populations globally showed lower uptake of COVID-19 vaccines and are also considered to be an under-immunized group for routine vaccinations. These communities may experience a range of barriers to vaccination systems, yet there is a need to better explore drivers of under-immunization and vaccine hesitancy in these mobile groups.

Methods: We did a global rapid review to explore drivers of under-immunization and vaccine hesitancy to define strategies to strengthen both COVID-19 and routine vaccination uptake, searching MEDLINE, Embase, Global Health PsycINFO and grey literature. Qualitative data were analysed thematically to identify drivers of under-immunization and vaccine hesitancy, and then categorized using the 'Increasing Vaccination Model'.

Results: Sixty-three papers were included, reporting data on diverse population groups, including refugees, asylum seekers, labour migrants and undocumented migrants in 22 countries. Drivers of under-immunization and vaccine hesitancy pertaining to a wide range of vaccines were covered, including COVID-19 (n = 27), human papillomavirus (13), measles or Measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) (3), influenza (3), tetanus (1) and vaccination in general. We found a range of factors driving under-immunization and hesitancy in refugee and migrant groups, including unique awareness and access factors that need to be better considered in policy and service delivery. Acceptability of vaccination was often deeply rooted in social and historical context and influenced by personal risk perception.

Conclusions: These findings hold direct relevance to current efforts to ensure high levels of global coverage for a range of vaccines and to ensure that marginalized refugee and migrant populations are included in the national vaccination plans of low-, middle- and high-income countries. We found a stark lack of research from low- and middle-income and humanitarian contexts on vaccination in mobile groups. This needs to be urgently rectified if we are to design and deliver effective programmes that ensure high coverage for COVID-19 and routine vaccinations.

Keywords: COVID-19 vaccines; migrants; refugees; vaccination; vaccine hesitancy; vaccine uptake.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
PRISMA diagram of included and excluded studies.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Solutions and strategies for increasing COVID-19 vaccination uptake in refugee and migrant populations, based on the Increasing Vaccination Model
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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