Immunisation of refugee and migrant young people: can schools do the job?

Abstract

Objectives: To assess immunisation needs, primary health care (PHC) use and trial a school‐based immunisation service for refugee and migrant young people attending an Intensive English Centre (IEC) high school in Western Sydney.Methods: We surveyed students attending an IEC in Western Sydney, assessing self‐reported immunisation status and use of PHC services via questionnaires translated in six languages. Those students who were not immunised for hepatitis B and measlesmumps‐rubella (MMR) were provided the first and second dose of a three‐dose hepatitis B immunisation schedule and a single dose of MMR vaccine. We compared the immunisation requirements for MMR and hepatitis B with utilisation of PHC.Results: One‐hundred and sixty‐five students (85%) returned the questionnaire. Forty‐nine students (30%) reported previous immunisation with MMR and 29 (18%) with hepatitis B. As part of the school immunisation program, 142 (74%) received MMR vaccine, 151 (78%) received the first dose of hepatitis B vaccine, 144 (95%) received the second dose of hepatitis B, and 34 (23%) received the third hepatitis B dose elsewhere. Sixty‐six students (40%) reported seeing a doctor in the past year. Students who had not seen a doctor in the previous year were significantly more likely to request immunisation (p<0.01).Conclusions and Implications: Refugee and migrant young people attending an IEC in Western Sydney report low immunisation rates. Our study highlights the urgent need for education and health to work together to provide specialised immunisation services for refugee and migrant young people.