Title : Exploring barriers to immunisation in Te Taitokerau, the northland region of Aotearoa New Zealand
Abstract:
This paper presents the preliminary findings of research that explored barriers and facilitators to childhood immunisation in Te Tai Tokerau, the Northland region of Aotearoa New Zealand. Immunisation here is free and is linked to the National Immunisation Schedule which incorporates not only childhood immunisations, but also immunisation of pregnant women (e.g. against flu, whooping cough) and older adults (e.g. shingles, whooping cough, tetanus, diphtheria). Historically, immunisation in the region is relatively low, impacting largely on M?ori health. In this study, we conducted individual interviews and focus group discussions with 62 participants. Afterwards, we provided the provisional findings to the participants and gathered their input. In this paper, we focus on the round 1 interview data, which we analysed using a thematic analysis approach. The findings indicated that while participants expressed a desire for improved health services due to remoteness and socioeconomic barriers, they also emphasised the importance of trust, which influences health-seeking decisions on various levels. The COVID-19 pandemic also brought some of the existing barriers more sharply into focus . Finally, it's important to highlight that there is a call for government collaboration with the M?ori community to establish culturally safe environments that aim to rebuild trust and enhance immunisation rates.
