Vaccination plays a crucial role in preventing the outbreak of infectious diseases and reducing mortality rates. For children, early-life vaccination helps protect them during their most vulnerable stage. In 1974, the World Health Organization (WHO) launched the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) to provide vaccines to children worldwide. The program was successfully implemented in Vietnam starting in 1981 and has helped the country eliminate diseases such as polio, neonatal tetanus, and effectively control measles.
Despite this historic success, the EPI has faced several challenges in recent years, particularly due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused significant disruptions to vaccination services. In addition, concerns remain about inequities in access to vaccination services among children from different geographical and demographic backgrounds. Unvaccinated children and those with incomplete vaccinations are often from disadvantaged communities, where there is limited capacity to address this issue.
In that context, Mekong Development Research Institute is collaborating with UNICEF Vietnam to carry out a mixed method research to explore the behavioral and social factors influencing vaccination (BeSD) for children in Vietnam. The research aims to provide insights to help bridge gaps in vaccination coverage and offering recommendations to design interventions that promote vaccination, in order to achieve national objectives.
Main tasks:
- Carry out desk review of the content analysis of existing studies/ researches/assessments/ evaluations regarding the four domains of BeSD of childhood vaccination, and number of media (print, TV and online) stories focusing on immunization in Viet Nam
- Prepare research design and data collection plan
- Conduct quantitative data collection with 960 households in 4 provinces – Dien Bien, Quang Nam, Gia Lai, and Soc Trang
- Conduct qualitative data collection in Dien Bien and Hau Giang – 2 provinces amongst those with highest rate of zero-dose children
- Write analytical reports and organize consultation workshop for result dissemination.
Photo source: https://baochinhphu.vn/hon-95-tre-em-duoi-1-tuoi-tiem-day-du-cac-loai-vaccine-102281957.htm
