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Generating evidence to improve uptake and equity in maternal immunisation

Year:
2021
Duration:
12 months
Approved budget:
$29,999.00
Researchers:
Dr Matthew Hobbs
,
Dr Anna Howe
,
Professor Peter McIntyre
,
Dr Esther Willing
,
Dr Pauline Dawson
,
Dr Amber Young
,
Lukas Marek
Proposal type:
Health Delivery Research Activation Grant
Lay summary
Immunisation during pregnancy is a safe and effective way of protecting women and their babies against harmful diseases, both during and after pregnancy, however, low maternal immunisation coverage represents a significant public health challenge for Aotearoa/New Zealand. Moreover, inequities exist, with Māori and Pacific women around half as likely to have received maternal pertussis vaccination compared to New Zealand European/’Other’ women. In addition, while geographical variation in maternal immunisation coverage may exist, this has seldom been explored. Researchers and front-line practitioners in midwifery, pharmacy and immunisation/infectious diseases would like to work together to understand regional differences in maternal immunisation coverage. We will map coverage across New Zealand and develop an interactive web application to visualise maternal immunisation coverage for immunisation policymakers. This project represents the first steps towards reducing inequity and to support finding solutions to low regional levels of maternal immunisation coverage across New Zealand, especially for, and with, Māori wāhine.