Peer-reviewed article
"This is what a war does"- Trust, information ecosystems and childhood vaccination among Ukrainian parents: A qualitative study.
Dwyer H, Beckmann N, Palmer J, Lapii F, Kleszczewska D et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This qualitative study examined how the war in Ukraine has affected parents' trust in childhood vaccination and their decision-making around vaccines. Researchers interviewed 30 Ukrainian parents in Lviv and Warsaw, plus 21 key informants including healthcare workers and policymakers, between November 2024 and March 2025. The war disrupted healthcare continuity and vaccination services, while displaced families faced additional structural and language barriers. However, some parents still saw vaccination as a way to protect their children and maintain agency. Parents increasingly used digital platforms like Telegram to find and share information about vaccines, valuing sources that seemed authentic and emotionally connected.
Key points
- War and displacement deprioritised vaccination as families focused on documentation, housing and safety
- Structural and language barriers limited vaccine access, particularly for displaced families in Poland
- Some parents viewed vaccination as a means to protect children and reclaim agency amid uncertainty
- Digital platforms, especially Telegram, became key spaces for seeking and interpreting vaccine information
- Trust in vaccine information was shaped by perceived authenticity, responsiveness and emotional connection to sources
Limitations
This is a qualitative study capturing parental perspectives and key informant views at a specific moment during ongoing conflict, so findings may not represent all Ukrainian parents or be stable over time as the situation changes. The study cannot measure the actual impact of these attitudes on vaccination coverage rates.
Abstract
Armed conflict not only disrupts health systems but reconfigures trust in vaccination and interactions with information. This study explored how the war in Ukraine has reshaped vaccine attitudes among parents living in Lviv, Ukraine and those displaced to Warsaw, Poland. Using a qualitative design, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 30 Ukrainian parents and 21 key informants, including healthcare workers, journalists, humanitarian actors and policy makers. Data were collected between November 2024 and March 2025 and analysed thematically to identify key patterns in how conflict and displacement influence trust and decision-making around childhood vaccination. Findings show that war and displacement disrupted continuity of care, with vaccination often deprioritised as families navigate documentation, housing and safety. Structural and language barriers further limited access, especially for displaced families. Yet, some parents described vaccination as a means to protect their children and reclaim their agency amid uncertainty, demonstrating active engagement with healthcare despite instability. Information practices were also reconfigured: digital platforms, particularly Telegram, became key spaces for seeking, sharing and interpreting information. Trust was shaped by perceived authenticity, responsiveness and emotional connection to information sources. This study highlights that access and vaccine confidence are mutually reinforcing. At the same time, efforts to sustain trust in vaccination must therefore go beyond focusing on information (and mis/disinformation) and draw on empathetic, transparent and participatory communication means. Strengthening continuity of care, empowering health workers and embedding community feedback mechanisms within humanitarian health responses are critical for sustaining confidence in vaccines in conflict settings.