Community-Based Approaches to Increase COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake and Demand: Lessons Learned from Four UNICEF-Supported Interventions

Abstract

Vaccination is critical to minimize serious illness and death from COVID-19. Yet uptake of COVID-19 vaccines remains highly variable, particularly among marginalized communities. This article shares lessons learned from four UNICEF interventions that supported Governments to generate acceptance and demand for COVID-19 vaccines in Zambia, Iraq, Ghana, and India. In Zambia, community rapid assessment provided invaluable real-time insights around COVID-19 vaccination and allowed the identification of population segments that share beliefs and motivations regarding COVID-19 vaccination. Findings were subsequently used to develop recommendations tailored to the different personas. In Iraq, a new outreach approach (3iS: Intensification of Integrated Immunization) utilized direct community engagement to deliver health messages and encourage service uptake, resulting in over 4.4 million doses of COVID-19 and routine immunization vaccines delivered in just 8 months. In Ghana, a human-centered design initiative was applied to co-develop community-informed strategies to improve COVID-19 vaccination rates. In India, a risk communication and community engagement initiative reached half a million people over six months, translating into a 25% increase in vaccination rates. These shared approaches can be leveraged to improve COVID-19 vaccination coverage and close gaps in routine immunization across diverse and marginalized communities.

Assessing the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Maternal and Child Health Services: A Comprehensive Analysis of Government Initiatives in Northern India

“…These findings suggest the urgent need for targeted interventions to mitigate the impact of not only the COVID-19 pandemic but any such future disruption on maternal and child health services in India. Strengthening community-based outreach programs, leveraging telemedicine platforms for antenatal and postnatal care, and ensuring uninterrupted vaccine supply chains are essential strategies for enhancing service access and delivery during crises [ 22 ]. Furthermore, proactive risk management, community engagement, and capacity building among frontline healthcare workers are crucial for building resilience and maintaining trust in the healthcare system [ 23 ].…”

The Bambisana Study Protocol: A mixed methods pre- and post- test study assessing community and social media influence to increase influenza vaccination uptake among youth in Soweto, South Africa

“…Adults (18 years and older), living in these clusters or accessing clinic services in the five study clinics (Senaoane Clinic, Mofolo Community Health Centre, Meadowlands Zone 2 Clinic, Siphumlile Clinic, and Thembelihle Clinic) are deemed eligible for the study. The HDSS communities were included as below (Table 1): (18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27)(28)(29)(30)(31)(32)(33)(34), sex (male and female) and community (two per cluster). These approaches aim to gather contextual data essential for understanding the factors influencing young people's decisions regarding influenza vaccination, including both motivators and barriers.…”

“…C) Qualitative evaluation Additional FGDs, including 10-12 participants per FGD, will be conducted: 8 mid-way through the intervention (during vaccination season) and 8 post-intervention. These FGDs will be mixed gender and will be stratified by age group (18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27)(28)(29)(30)(31)(32)(33)(34), and community (two per cluster). Key informant interviews (KII) (n=20) with key influencers including, religious leaders, traditional healers and youth leaders, as well as other influencers that may identified through community engagement and communications activities.…”

“…Various factors, both individual and related to healthcare providers, can influence young people's healthcare-seeking behaviours [28]. Targeted health promotion interventions can increase health-seeking behaviour and uptake of vaccination [29]. Influenza surveillance shows that individuals aged 19 to 44 present the highest asymptomatic episodes and the lowest medically attended illness [14,30].…”

Vaccine Inequity: A Threat to Africa’s Recovery from COVID-19

“…The CHWs were especially instrumental in addressing the Covid-19 health crisis and raising public awareness, just as the community organizations were in uential in encouraging vaccination uptake. Other studies reveal how Zambia utilized community rapid assessment to gain invaluable real-time insights concerning Covid-19 vaccination, which also allowed identi cation of population segments that share beliefs and motivations about vaccination, while Ghana adopted a human-centered design initiative to co-develop community-informed strategies to improve vaccination rates [44]. In a country like Rwanda, utilizing mass vaccination centers and mobile vaccination units as the government policy also increased vaccine coverage as people received the jab in places like markets, bus terminals, health centers, and used mobile clinics circulating on different streets and even to homes [45].…”