"Fear of the unknown": Health, disability, and stakeholder perspectives on the behavioral and social drivers of vaccination in children with disability in Fiji.
Vaccinating children with disability in low- and middle-income countries, such as Fiji, is a key priority for equity. This study aimed to understand the social and behavioral drivers of vaccine uptake among children with disability in Fiji, from the perspectives of health, disability, and community...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2025-01-01
|
| Series: | PLOS Global Public Health |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0004132 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1841533101671448576 |
|---|---|
| author | Rosalie Power Unise Vakaloloma Israt Jahan Sureni Perera Ilisapeci Tuibeqa Rachel Devi Litiana Volavola William May Donald Wilson Lanieta Tuimabu Gulam Khandaker Meru Sheel Australian Immunisation and Disability Investigators |
| author_facet | Rosalie Power Unise Vakaloloma Israt Jahan Sureni Perera Ilisapeci Tuibeqa Rachel Devi Litiana Volavola William May Donald Wilson Lanieta Tuimabu Gulam Khandaker Meru Sheel Australian Immunisation and Disability Investigators |
| author_sort | Rosalie Power |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Vaccinating children with disability in low- and middle-income countries, such as Fiji, is a key priority for equity. This study aimed to understand the social and behavioral drivers of vaccine uptake among children with disability in Fiji, from the perspectives of health, disability, and community stakeholders. Five qualitative focus groups were conducted with 22 stakeholders, including healthcare workers, disability service providers and advocates, and community and faith leaders (female n = 17, 77%). Data were collected and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis and applied the World Health Organization's Behavioral and Social Drivers of Vaccination framework. Numerous drivers were reported to impact vaccination for children with disability. These included (1) Thinking and feeling: lack of reliable information about vaccine benefits and safety for children with disability; (2) Social processes: disability stigma and discrimination impacted families of children with disability engaging with healthcare services; lack of tailored vaccination communication and engagement strategies; and, need for improved disability and health service collaboration; (3) Motivation: lack of awareness and support for parents of children with disability to have their children vaccinated, and religious beliefs negatively impacted motivation; (4) Practical issues: long waiting times and lack of suitable waiting areas for children with disability; financial and time barriers; and, lack of healthcare worker knowledge and confidence in providing vaccines to children with disability, impacted patient-provider trust. The findings from this study can inform strategic actions to overcome barriers to vaccination for children with disability, including strengthening existing vaccination programs, promoting greater equity in vaccination for children with disability in Fiji. This will reduce the burden of vaccine-preventable diseases in this priority group. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-8c1e2b3ac3a84d65afd55a0244949a50 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2767-3375 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLOS Global Public Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-8c1e2b3ac3a84d65afd55a0244949a502025-01-17T05:49:10ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLOS Global Public Health2767-33752025-01-0151e000413210.1371/journal.pgph.0004132"Fear of the unknown": Health, disability, and stakeholder perspectives on the behavioral and social drivers of vaccination in children with disability in Fiji.Rosalie PowerUnise VakalolomaIsrat JahanSureni PereraIlisapeci TuibeqaRachel DeviLitiana VolavolaWilliam MayDonald WilsonLanieta TuimabuGulam KhandakerMeru SheelAustralian Immunisation and Disability InvestigatorsVaccinating children with disability in low- and middle-income countries, such as Fiji, is a key priority for equity. This study aimed to understand the social and behavioral drivers of vaccine uptake among children with disability in Fiji, from the perspectives of health, disability, and community stakeholders. Five qualitative focus groups were conducted with 22 stakeholders, including healthcare workers, disability service providers and advocates, and community and faith leaders (female n = 17, 77%). Data were collected and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis and applied the World Health Organization's Behavioral and Social Drivers of Vaccination framework. Numerous drivers were reported to impact vaccination for children with disability. These included (1) Thinking and feeling: lack of reliable information about vaccine benefits and safety for children with disability; (2) Social processes: disability stigma and discrimination impacted families of children with disability engaging with healthcare services; lack of tailored vaccination communication and engagement strategies; and, need for improved disability and health service collaboration; (3) Motivation: lack of awareness and support for parents of children with disability to have their children vaccinated, and religious beliefs negatively impacted motivation; (4) Practical issues: long waiting times and lack of suitable waiting areas for children with disability; financial and time barriers; and, lack of healthcare worker knowledge and confidence in providing vaccines to children with disability, impacted patient-provider trust. The findings from this study can inform strategic actions to overcome barriers to vaccination for children with disability, including strengthening existing vaccination programs, promoting greater equity in vaccination for children with disability in Fiji. This will reduce the burden of vaccine-preventable diseases in this priority group.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0004132 |
| spellingShingle | Rosalie Power Unise Vakaloloma Israt Jahan Sureni Perera Ilisapeci Tuibeqa Rachel Devi Litiana Volavola William May Donald Wilson Lanieta Tuimabu Gulam Khandaker Meru Sheel Australian Immunisation and Disability Investigators "Fear of the unknown": Health, disability, and stakeholder perspectives on the behavioral and social drivers of vaccination in children with disability in Fiji. PLOS Global Public Health |
| title | "Fear of the unknown": Health, disability, and stakeholder perspectives on the behavioral and social drivers of vaccination in children with disability in Fiji. |
| title_full | "Fear of the unknown": Health, disability, and stakeholder perspectives on the behavioral and social drivers of vaccination in children with disability in Fiji. |
| title_fullStr | "Fear of the unknown": Health, disability, and stakeholder perspectives on the behavioral and social drivers of vaccination in children with disability in Fiji. |
| title_full_unstemmed | "Fear of the unknown": Health, disability, and stakeholder perspectives on the behavioral and social drivers of vaccination in children with disability in Fiji. |
| title_short | "Fear of the unknown": Health, disability, and stakeholder perspectives on the behavioral and social drivers of vaccination in children with disability in Fiji. |
| title_sort | fear of the unknown health disability and stakeholder perspectives on the behavioral and social drivers of vaccination in children with disability in fiji |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0004132 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT rosaliepower fearoftheunknownhealthdisabilityandstakeholderperspectivesonthebehavioralandsocialdriversofvaccinationinchildrenwithdisabilityinfiji AT unisevakaloloma fearoftheunknownhealthdisabilityandstakeholderperspectivesonthebehavioralandsocialdriversofvaccinationinchildrenwithdisabilityinfiji AT isratjahan fearoftheunknownhealthdisabilityandstakeholderperspectivesonthebehavioralandsocialdriversofvaccinationinchildrenwithdisabilityinfiji AT sureniperera fearoftheunknownhealthdisabilityandstakeholderperspectivesonthebehavioralandsocialdriversofvaccinationinchildrenwithdisabilityinfiji AT ilisapecituibeqa fearoftheunknownhealthdisabilityandstakeholderperspectivesonthebehavioralandsocialdriversofvaccinationinchildrenwithdisabilityinfiji AT racheldevi fearoftheunknownhealthdisabilityandstakeholderperspectivesonthebehavioralandsocialdriversofvaccinationinchildrenwithdisabilityinfiji AT litianavolavola fearoftheunknownhealthdisabilityandstakeholderperspectivesonthebehavioralandsocialdriversofvaccinationinchildrenwithdisabilityinfiji AT williammay fearoftheunknownhealthdisabilityandstakeholderperspectivesonthebehavioralandsocialdriversofvaccinationinchildrenwithdisabilityinfiji AT donaldwilson fearoftheunknownhealthdisabilityandstakeholderperspectivesonthebehavioralandsocialdriversofvaccinationinchildrenwithdisabilityinfiji AT lanietatuimabu fearoftheunknownhealthdisabilityandstakeholderperspectivesonthebehavioralandsocialdriversofvaccinationinchildrenwithdisabilityinfiji AT gulamkhandaker fearoftheunknownhealthdisabilityandstakeholderperspectivesonthebehavioralandsocialdriversofvaccinationinchildrenwithdisabilityinfiji AT merusheel fearoftheunknownhealthdisabilityandstakeholderperspectivesonthebehavioralandsocialdriversofvaccinationinchildrenwithdisabilityinfiji AT australianimmunisationanddisabilityinvestigators fearoftheunknownhealthdisabilityandstakeholderperspectivesonthebehavioralandsocialdriversofvaccinationinchildrenwithdisabilityinfiji |