The Role of Faith-Based Organizations in Improving Vaccination Confidence & Addressing Vaccination Disparities to Help Improve Vaccine Uptake: A Systematic Review

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the importance of vaccination to support individual health across the life-course, with vaccination playing a central strategy role in mitigating transmission and disease. This required unprecedented mobilization and coordination across all sectors to meet people where they are, enable equitable access, and build vaccination confidence. A literature search was conducted with combinations of the keywords and variations of vaccination and faith-based organizations (FBOs). Search inclusion criteria were: (1) FBO programs that supported public health emergency efforts, including vaccination efforts as the primary outcome; and (2) articles written in English language. A total of 37 articles met inclusion criteria (n = 26 focused on general public health campaigns, n = 11 focused on vaccination efforts). The findings related to public health campaigns fell into four themes: FBO’s ability to (1) tailor public health campaigns; (2) mitigate barriers; (3) establish trust; and (4) disseminate and sustain efforts. The findings related to vaccine uptake efforts fell into three themes: (1) pre-pandemic influenza and HPV vaccination efforts, (2) addressing vaccine disparities in minority communities, and (3) enabling COVID-19 vaccination. This review demonstrated that FBOs have a vital role in both public health campaigns and vaccination initiatives to support high vaccine uptake and confidence.

‘What we lacked was the courage to take decisions that differed from the rest of the world’: expert perspectives on the role of evidence in COVID-19 policymaking in Iraq

“…This is problematic in a pandemic context in which effective risk communication relies on trust and transparency 51. Social science and public health literatures indicate the involvement of—non-state—faith-based and community organisations in vaccine administration as one potential strategy to tackle low vaccine confidence 52 53…”

‘God protects us from death through faith and science’: a qualitative study on the role of faith leaders in combating the COVID-19 pandemic and in building COVID-19 vaccine trust in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

“…Ethiopia is a religious country where more than 97% of the population is religious, and faith leaders hold significant societal positions 25. It has been well documented that faith leaders are embedded in society with high-influencing positions and often have considerable leverage with state and non-state actors due to the size of their constituencies 26–29. Therefore, engagement with faith leaders is critical as they are known to be gatekeepers to local communities, with considerable influence on their communities’ beliefs and behaviours.…”

Faith-based organisations and their role in supporting vaccine confidence and uptake: a scoping review protocol

“…To date, we have found a report commissioned by The National Academy of Sciences that synthesised 23 qualitative articles to have mentioned FBOs as members of community partnerships which influenced community decisions to vaccinate 47. A recent systematic review of 37 studies showed FBO’s ability to establish trust, mitigate barriers, disseminate and sustain efforts, and tailor public health campaigns; but did not examine interventions specifically for minoritised communities 48…”

“…47 A recent systematic review of 37 studies showed FBO's ability to establish trust, mitigate barriers, disseminate and sustain efforts, and tailor public health campaigns; but did not examine interventions specifically for minoritised communities. 48 Religious activities of immigrants in HICs have interested labour scholars for decades as to how processes of integration are affected by immigrant culture, ethnicity and religious backgrounds. 49 Meanwhile, faith-based partnerships for vaccine interventions and programmes to increase vaccine uptake among newly arrived immigrants, 50 undocumented migrants, 51 and asylum seekers and refugees 52 has been a recent development in the realm of vaccine outreach.…”