Willingness to Vaccinate Against COVID-19 in Australia
Alley et al. surveyed the willingness of adults living in Australia to be vaccinated against COVID-19 at 2 time points, once in April (n = 1512) and again in August (n = 831) of 2020. Using data from people who completed both surveys (n = 575), Alley et al. found a slight reduction in willingness to get vaccinated; however, the reduction was not significantly different (87% willing in April vs 85% in August). When combined, the data from the 2 time points suggest that women are more likely to be unsure whether they are willing to be vaccinated. Willingness to be vaccinated was lower among people with a high school diploma than among those with a bachelor’s degree, and it was lower in infrequent users of traditional media.
Citation. Alley SJ, Stanton R, Browne M, et al. As the pandemic progresses, how does willingness to vaccinate against COVID-19 evolve? Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18(2):797. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18020797
Perceptions of Immunization Side Effects Among Infants in Benin City, Nigeria
Efforts focused on immunization are crucial for reducing morbidity and mortality from vaccine-preventable diseases. Side effects may occur after immunization among infants, and fearing adverse reactions may prevent caregivers from seeking immunizations for infants. Adam et al. developed a cross-sectional study to explore postimmunization side effects among 400 caregivers of infants in 2015 in Benin City, Nigeria, clinics. Fewer than half of the caregivers (n = 169; 42.3%) reported side effects occurring after immunization. Among those who reported side effects, fever (84.0%) and swelling (38.5%) were most common, with most occurring after the bacillus Calmette–Guerin vaccine (74.6%) and the pentavalent vaccine (40.2%). These findings suggest that caregivers should be educated and reassured regarding the potential side effects following immunization.
Citation. Adam VY, Onowugbeda ED, Osuji OI, Omohwovo OD. Prevalence and management of perceived adverse events following immunization in infants attending well baby clinics in Benin City, Nigeria. J Commun Med Prim Health Care. 2020;32(2):57–67. https://doi.org/10.4314/jcmphc.v32i2.5
Vaccine Hesitancy Indicators in South America
González-Block et al. assessed seasonal influenza vaccine hesitancy among at-risk groups in Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay through indicators of the “3 C’s”: confidence, complacency, and convenience. The study administered questionnaires to 3200 individuals at 40 ambulatory health care units in 10 cities, representing adults aged 65 years and older, adults with select underlying health conditions, pregnant women, and mothers of children younger than 6 years. The authors found that the 3 C’s varied more across countries than across risk groups, with confidence intervals for Chile (highest) and Uruguay (lowest) at the extremes. The findings indicate that strategies to build trust in the vaccines and reduce disease-risk complacency may effectively increase demand for influenza vaccination in urban South America.
Citation. González-Block MÁ, Gutiérrez-Calderón E, Pelcastre-Villafuerte BE, et al. Influenza vaccination hesitancy in five countries of South America. Confidence, complacency and convenience as determinants of immunization rates. PLoS One. 2020;15(12):e0243833. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0243833
Results From a Program to Improve Access to Immunizations in Remote Areas in Myanmar
The Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunizations partnered with Myanmar to increase access to immunizations in remote areas through a 4-year project—the Health System Strengthening (HSS) Project. Mon et al. documented changes in immunization coverage in 6 townships and 12 rural health centers supported by the HSS project between 2011 and 2015 and conducted focus groups with 121 mothers of children younger than 2 years to assess knowledge on access to immunization services. Diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, hepatitis B, and Hemophilus influenzae type b (DPT 3/pentavalent 3) immunizations coverage increased from 79.4% in 2011 to 87.8% in 2015. All mothers reported perceptions of improved access to immunization services and knowledge of health and immunization services offered by midwives in their villages. These results highlighted the success of the HSS project in improving access to immunization services in remotes areas in Myanmar.
Citation. Mon WY, Sirichotiatana N, Kongsin S, Jiamtom S, Prutipinyo C. Improved immunization access through health systems strengthening project for townships in Myanmar: a mixed method study. J Public Health Dev. 2021;19(1):89–100.