Article: The impact of policy and policy communication on COVID-19 vaccination inequalities among Venezuelan refugees and migrants in Colombia: a comparative cross-sectional interrupted time-series analysis.
BMJ global health
2024 Volume 9, Issue 3
Abstract: Introduction: Equitable access to vaccines for migrants and refugees is necessary to ensure their right to health and to achieve public health goals of reducing vaccine-preventable illness. Public health policies require regulatory frameworks and ... ...
| Abstract | Introduction: Equitable access to vaccines for migrants and refugees is necessary to ensure their right to health and to achieve public health goals of reducing vaccine-preventable illness. Public health policies require regulatory frameworks and communication to effect uptake of effective vaccines among the target population. In Colombia, the National COVID-19 Vaccination Plan implicitly included Venezuelan refugees and migrants; however, initial communication of the policy indicated that vaccine availability was restricted to people with regular migration status. We estimated the impact of a public announcement, which clarified access for refugees and migrants, on vaccination coverage among Venezuelans living in Colombia. Methods: Between 30 July 2021 and 5 February 2022, 6221 adult Venezuelans participated in a cross-sectional, population-based health survey. We used a comparative cross-sectional time-series analysis to estimate the effect of the October 2021 announcement on the average biweekly change in COVID-19 vaccine coverage of Venezuelans with regular and irregular migration status. Results: 71% of Venezuelans had an irregular status. The baseline (preannouncement) vaccine coverage was lower among people with an irregular status but increased at similar rates as those with a regular status. After the announcement, there was a level change of 14.49% (95% CI: 1.57 to 27.42, p=0.03) in vaccination rates among individuals with irregular migration status with a 4.61% increase in vaccination rate per biweekly period (95% CI: 1.71 to 7.51, p=0.004). By February 2022, there was a 26.2% relative increase in vaccinations among individuals with irregular migration status compared with what was expected without the announcement. Conclusion: While there was no policy change, communication clarifying the policy drastically reduced vaccination inequalities across migration status. Lessons can be translated from the COVID-19 pandemic into more effective global, regional and local public health emergency preparedness and response to displacement. |
|---|---|
| MeSH term(s) | Adult ; Humans ; Colombia/epidemiology ; Communication ; COVID-19/prevention & control ; COVID-19 Vaccines ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Health Policy ; Pandemics ; Refugees ; South American People ; Transients and Migrants ; Vaccination |
| Chemical Substances | COVID-19 Vaccines |
| Language | English |
| Publishing date | 2024-03-07 |
| Publishing country | England |
| Document type | Journal Article |
| ISSN | 2059-7908 |
| ISSN | 2059-7908 |
| DOI | 10.1136/bmjgh-2023-014464 |
| Database | MEDical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System OnLINE |
More links
Kategorien
Order via subito
This service is chargeable due to the Delivery terms set by subito. Orders including an article and supplementary material will be classified as separate orders. In these cases, fees will be demanded for each order.
Inter-library loan at ZB MED
Your chosen title can be delivered directly to ZB MED Cologne location if you are registered as a user at ZB MED Cologne.