Abstract
Exploring factors that influence vaccination uptake for Ukrainian child migrants and war refugees in Poland: preliminary results from the “Say YES to Vaccination” study
- Department of Health Promotion and Prevention of Chronic Diseases, National Institute of Public Health NIH – National Research Institute, Warsaw, Poland
- Department of Child and Adolescent Health, Institute of Mother and Child, Warsaw, Poland
- Department of Population Health Monitoring and Analysis, National Institute of Public Health NIH – National Research Institute, Warsaw, Poland
- Institute of Mother and Child Foundation, Warsaw, Poland
Background
An unprecedented influx of Ukrainian migrants and war refugees in February 2022 to Poland posed new challenges for the host country’s health system regarding ensuring access to health services, including immunizations, to ensure the health security of this vulnerable population and the host community.
Objectives
This study aimed to understand mother-level barriers and enablers of vaccine uptake among Ukrainian child migrants and war refugees in Poland.
Material and methods
A cross-sectional survey was conducted among Ukrainian refugee mothers. A structured self-administered questionnaire was used to explore the mothers’ and children’s socio-demographics, vaccination status, barriers, and enablers of vaccine uptake in Poland. Multiple logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between children’s characteristics and the lack of vaccination against measles and/or polio.
Results
162 Ukrainian refugee mothers participated in the study. Of the 266 children in their care, 39 were not vaccinated against measles and/or polio. The risk of not being vaccinated was statistically significantly increased by being from Western Ukraine (OR = 7.809 [3.301–18.476], p < 0.001), mothers aged 40–44 years (OR = 2.797 [1.258–6.218], p = 0.012), and the mother’s vocational education (OR = 4.750 [1.252–18.021], p = 0.022). In contrast, having a sibling vaccinated against measles was an enabler of vaccine uptake (OR = 0.208 [0.091–0.475], p < 0.001).
Conclusions
In this study, we found that both socio-demographic characteristics and the mothers’ experiences of vaccinating their children in the past may be associated with vaccine uptake among child migrants and war refugees in Poland. These should be considered to reduce the refusal of or delays in receiving vaccinations.
Keywords
vaccination, transients and migrants, armed conflicts, child, Ukraine
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