Peer-reviewed article
Tailoring immunisation programs in Lismore, New South Wales - we want our children to be healthy and grow well, and immunisation really helps
Thomas, Paden, Lloyd, Tudball, Corben ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study examined why some children in Lismore, Australia were falling behind on their scheduled vaccinations, particularly Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. Researchers interviewed 35 parents, carers, and health service providers to understand barriers and enablers to immunisation. The main obstacles were access problems, vaccine hesitancy, lack of cultural safety, and poor availability of tailored health information. The study recommends more flexible health services, culturally safe care, practical support, and better communication to improve vaccination coverage.
Key points
- In 2018, 175 children in Lismore were overdue for scheduled vaccinations, with 11% being Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- Six key themes emerged: access barriers, need for additional support, cultural safety concerns, value of reminders, parental influence on decisions, and need for appropriate health information
- Access barriers and vaccine hesitancy were identified as main contributors to low vaccination coverage
- Solutions include more flexible health services, culturally appropriate care, practical support, and tailored health messages
- Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services are well-positioned to provide flexible vaccination services
Limitations
This study used qualitative methods with a small sample (35 participants) and focused on one town in Australia, so findings may not generalise to other regions or populations. The study identifies barriers and enablers but does not evaluate whether implementing the recommended strategies actually improves vaccination coverage.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: In 2018 in the Australian town of Lismore, New South Wales, 175 children were overdue for scheduled vaccinations, 11% of them being Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander (2018). This study aimed to gain a deeper understanding of the reasons for low coverage. METHODS: Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal parents, carers and health service providers were invited to take part in semi-structured interviews and focus groups. Open-ended questions were asked about immunisation barriers and enablers, and what strategies may be effective in improving coverage in Lismore. RESULTS: A total of 35 participants took part. Six themes were developed: childhood immunisation in Lismore is limited by access barriers to health services, some families may need additional support to access vaccination services, health services need to ensure that Aboriginal families feel safe and comfortable when accessing their service, parents and carers value reminders and recalls to keep their children's vaccinations up to date, parents' and carers' views influence their decisions to immunise their children, and reliable information about immunisation needs to be available in ways that are meaningful and appropriate for parents and carers. CONCLUSION: Access barriers and vaccine hesitancy have been contributing to children falling behind in their scheduled vaccinations in Lismore. More flexible health services, culturally safe and appropriate care and more practical support can help overcome structural barriers to health services. Tailored health messages for both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal parents and carers can assist parents in making wise immunisation choices. More consistent analysis and reporting of routinely available data can identify pockets of low coverage. Publicly funded health services and Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services are well placed to provide flexible vaccination services for those families who may struggle with access barriers.