Abstract
Effective vaccination programmes remain the most cost-effective public health intervention for vaccine-preventable diseases. However, substantial social inequalities for immunisation rollout and uptake exist. This presents a substantial public health problem as unvaccinated individuals have an increased susceptibility to contract and spread serious preventable diseases. Previous studies have evidenced the effectiveness of locally developed complex interventions in improving immunisation uptake in ethnically diverse low-income populations.
The reasons for not being vaccinated are complex and varied. In the UK, childhood vaccination starts from when a child is a few weeks old and continues throughout childhood and into adulthood. In Wales, uptake of routine vaccinations in early childhood is high overall, although several health boards, including Cardiff and the Vale, evidence lower uptake. For children of all ages, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound effect on the roll-out of routine vaccinations, with uptake of the second dose of the Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine severely affected. It is vitally important to understand the experience of those accessing vaccination and the barriers and enablers to vaccine uptake in Wales on a local Health Board level so that targeted and tailored interventions can be developed to increase the uptake of childhood immunisations and decrease social inequalities.
The aim of this project is to undertake a qualitative study with relevant stakeholders, children, and their families on their experiences of the vaccination programme in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan, as well as a comprehensive literature review on the barriers and facilitators of childhood vaccination approaches. Locally relevant recommendations for practice will be provided to Cardiff and Vale University Health Board to increase vaccine uptake in the local area focusing on communities where uptake is lowest.
The reasons for not being vaccinated are complex and varied. In the UK, childhood vaccination starts from when a child is a few weeks old and continues throughout childhood and into adulthood. In Wales, uptake of routine vaccinations in early childhood is high overall, although several health boards, including Cardiff and the Vale, evidence lower uptake. For children of all ages, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound effect on the roll-out of routine vaccinations, with uptake of the second dose of the Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine severely affected. It is vitally important to understand the experience of those accessing vaccination and the barriers and enablers to vaccine uptake in Wales on a local Health Board level so that targeted and tailored interventions can be developed to increase the uptake of childhood immunisations and decrease social inequalities.
The aim of this project is to undertake a qualitative study with relevant stakeholders, children, and their families on their experiences of the vaccination programme in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan, as well as a comprehensive literature review on the barriers and facilitators of childhood vaccination approaches. Locally relevant recommendations for practice will be provided to Cardiff and Vale University Health Board to increase vaccine uptake in the local area focusing on communities where uptake is lowest.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Place of Publication | Cardiff |
| Publisher | Cardiff Metropolitan University |
| Commissioning body | Public Health Wales |
| Publication status | Published - Nov 2022 |
