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Journal Article Ppublish 30 citations

PubMed: 36218335 DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2022.2129827

A qualitative investigation of facilitators and barriers to accessing COVID-19 vaccines among Racialized and Indigenous Peoples in Canada.

Hum Vaccin Immunother 18(6):2129827

Authors: Laura Aylsworth, Terra Manca, Ève Dubé, Fabienne Labbé, S Michelle Driedger, Karen Benzies, Noni MacDonald, Janice Graham, Shannon E MacDonald

Affiliations

  • Faculty of Nursing, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
  • Direction des risques biologiques et de la Santé au travail, Institut National de Santé Publique du Québec, Québec, Quebec, Canada.
  • Department of Community Health Sciences, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
  • Faculty of Nursing, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
  • Departments of Paediatrics and Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
  • Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
  • Technoscience & Regulation Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
  • School of Public Health, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Abstract

Structural and systemic inequalities can contribute to susceptibility to COVID-19 disease and limited access to vaccines. Recognizing that Racialized and Indigenous Peoples may experience unique barriers to COVID-19 vaccination, this study explored early COVID-19 vaccine accessibility, including barriers and potential solutions to vaccine access, for these communities in Canada. We conducted semi-structured interviews about challenges to accessing COVID-19 vaccination with Racialized and Indigenous Peoples, including linguistic minorities and newcomers, in Spring 2021, just as COVID-19 vaccines were becoming more widely available in Canada. Participants were purposely selected from respondents to a Canadian national online survey. Three researchers analyzed the interviews for emergent themes using a descriptive content analysis approach in NVivo. At the time of the interview, interview participants (N = 27) intended to receive (n = 15) or had received (n = 11) at least one vaccine dose, or did not state their status (n = 1). Participants described multiple barriers to COVID-19 vaccination that they personally experienced and/or anticipated they or others could experience - including technology requirements, language barriers, lack of identification documentation, and travel challenges - as well as related solutions. These were organized into three broad categories: 1) COVID-19 disease and vaccination information, 2) vaccination booking procedures, and 3) vaccination sites. These structural and systemic barriers during the initial months of vaccine rollout substantially restricted participants' COVID-19 vaccination access, even when they were eager to get vaccinated, and should be addressed early in vaccine rollouts to facilitate optimal uptake for everyone everywhere.

MeSH

Vaccines, Covid-19 Vaccines, Solutions, Vaccination, Covid-19

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