Understanding barriers to childhood vaccination and working with healthcare workers to improve uptake
In Vietnam, the Expanded Programme on Immunisation was introduced in 1985 and has achieved high national coverage every year. In 1995 it was followed by the maternal and neonatal tetanus initiative. The aim was to eliminate vaccine-preventable diseases in infants and children. Reported coverage of these vaccines is high but a continual low-level rate of neonatal tetanus and sporadic outbreaks of other diseases, such as diphtheria and measles, indicate that there are significant gaps in the vaccination program.
Studies by the local Preventative Medicine Centre (PMC) and OUCRU indicate that ethnic minority rural communities have the lowest vaccination coverage. These studies also suggest there may be specific cultural and ethical issues surrounding the acceptance and uptake of vaccinations. There are also practical challenges involved in implementing an immunization program in remote communities.
Our aim is to improve vaccine uptake through:
Ultimately, we hope to contribute to an improved understanding of and uptake of vaccines in ethnic minority rural communities.
