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A hyper-local approach to addressing low immunisation coverage

Year:
2024
Duration:
24 months
Approved budget:
$150,000.00
Researchers:
Dr Samantha Marsh
,
Professor Nikki Turner
,
Dr Amber Young
,
Professor Tony Dowell
,
Associate Professor Maria Stubbe
,
Ms Lorraine Castelino
Host:
The University of Auckland
Health issue:
Infectious disease
Proposal type:
Explorer Grant
Lay summary
Vaccines are one of public health's most significant achievements; yet, even with high immunisation uptake overall, geographic clustering of unvaccinated children can lead to outbreaks. This year, we identified a community with the lowest level of childhood immunisation coverage in Aotearoa New Zealand. We propose a hyper-local approach to address this gap. This involves tapping into the microculture, micro-values, micro-norms, and micronarratives uniquely relevant to members of hyper-local communities within the identified region who are impacted most heavily by low immunisation rates or identified as key groups for promoting change. In doing so, we aim to honour local barriers, knowledge, attitudes, and histories when identifying interventions - to avoid the standard one-size-fits-most approach. To achieve this, an iwi-owed health organisation and university researchers are partnering to undertake community-based system dynamics research to identify and prioritise hyper-local interventions to promote equitable childhood immunisation coverage.