Are evidence-based vaccination interventions transferable to Ukrainian migrants? A Polish example

Abstract

Abstract Background Ukrainian migrants (UM) are among underserved groups with limited access to use vaccination services. The RIVER-EU in Poland aims to identify and tailor the successful intervention which would address health system barriers to MMR/HPV vaccination identified during the 1st phase of the project. Methods Participatory action research approach (PAR) was introduced to bring Researchers, UM and other Stakeholders together to identify and discuss transferability of promising evidence-based vaccination interventions (HPV/MMR). Relevant topic guides were developed; these helped to conduct focus groups discussions and in-depth interviews aimed to assess the extent to which interventions were appropriate and identify facilitators/barriers for the transfer and implementation. Results UM community (mothers of adolescent children and general practitioners [GPs]), Polish GPs, policymakers, experts in vaccinology and gynecological oncology, representatives of the municipality and a non-governmental organization were identified as key stakeholders. To find and mobilize UM appeared to be the challenging task, as they are a diverse, hard-to-reach community. The lack of information about the HPV vaccine was another obstacle to mobilize this group. Engaging GPs was also difficult due to work overload, lack of time, incapacity; the lack of extra compensation negatively affected motivation to be involved. To gain the trust of stakeholders and to build relationships - consistent, transparent, inclusive communication and cooperation was needed; country coordinators played moderators’ role. Conclusions To achieve consensus about the type of a tailor-made intervention requires creating clear communication channels and an open space where stakeholders can voice their opinions. PAR helped to achieve more meaningful insight into the transferability of MMR/HPV vaccination interventions by leveraging the collective wisdom of the researchers, UM community and other Stakeholders.