Vaccine hesitancy among Syrian refugee parents in Canada: A multifaceted challenge in public health (2024) 

What is this Research About? 

This multi-country multi-institute study, housed at Access Alliance, investigates vaccine hesitancy among Syrian refugee parents in Canada. Researchers examined the factors that influence their willingness to accept COVID-19 vaccination.  

“Vaccine hesitancy presents a significant public health challenge, particularly among Syrian refugee parents in Canada, who navigate unique barriers to vaccination. This cross-sectional study explores the determinants of vaccine hesitancy, considering socio-demographic factors, resettlement conditions, health assessments, and healthcare system interactions.” 

What Do You Need to Know? 

Canada hosted 44,000 Syrian refugees between 2015 and mid-2021, with 19,865 in Ontario as of June 2021. The influx of Syrian refugees to Canada since 2015 highlighted the need to address their health issues.  

This research is particularly relevant given the global challenges of vaccine acceptance among refugee populations. Like all displaced people, Syrian refugees face unique barriers including:  

• Disrupted healthcare access during displacement. 
• Mistrust in healthcare systems due to conflict experiences. 
• Economic instability and language barriers. 

 The study compares vaccine acceptance rates between Syrians in Syria (35.92%) and Syrian refugees in Canada (84.7%), demonstrating the impact of healthcare access and resettlement support.  

What Did the Researchers Do? 

The researchers conducted a cross-sectional study with:  

• 540 Syrian refugee parents in Ontario, Canada 
• Interviews conducted between March 2021 and March 2022 
• Participants had at least one child under 18 
• Data collection via telephone interviews in Arabic (Syrian dialect) 
• $20 honorarium provided to participants 

What Did the Researchers Find? 

The low acceptance rate of COVID-19 vaccines among the Syrian population in Syria compared to populations in Western countries, highlights the urgency of addressing vaccine hesitancy in this group. 

Interestingly, while vaccine hesitancy was high among Syrian refugees in Turkey (85% hesitancy), in Jordan’s Zaatari refugee camp successful educational interventions resulted in high vaccine acceptance (89.6%).  

Key findings include:  

• Higher vaccine acceptance rates may be attributed to better healthcare access and more consistent culturally sensitive public health messaging. 
• 84.7% of Syrian refugee participants in Canada expressed acceptance toward COVID-19 vaccination. 
• Individuals with very good or good mental health showed increased odds of vaccine acceptance. 
• Those without a family doctor were 3.6 times more likely to be vaccine hesitant. 
• Participants needing but not consistently receiving interpreter services showed higher hesitancy rates. 

How Can You Use This Research? 

Healthcare Providers:  

• Provide culturally and linguistically tailored healthcare services to support vaccine uptake. 
• Engage with refugee communities and trusted leaders to communicate health messages effectively. 
• Ensure healthcare system interventions including consistent access to family doctors for refugee populations. 
• Provide reliable interpreter services. 
• Integrate mental health support into vaccination programs. 

Policy Makers:  

• Fund culturally sensitive public health promotion and education strategies. 
• Improve healthcare access for refugee populations. 
• Address systemic barriers in healthcare delivery. 

Researchers:  

• Future studies should employ random sampling techniques. 
• Conduct longitudinal research to track hesitancy trends. 
• Explore qualitative aspects of refugee experiences with vaccination in source countries, refugee camps, as well as in resettlement countries. 

Study authors and journal/book name 

Authors: Baraa Alghalyini, Abdul Rehman Zia Zaidi, Safoura Zangiabadi, Akm Alamgir, & Hala Tamim

Publication: Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics (original link)

Related Access Alliance Activities 

Characteristics of Self-Rated Oral Health among Syrian Refugee Parents in Ontario (2023) 
This study examines self-rated oral health and its associated factors among Syrian refugee parents living in Ontario and identifies factors that influence their oral health outcomes. The research provides insights into the unique oral health needs of Syrian refugees in Ontario, advocating for policy changes and community support initiatives to improve their oral health outcomes.   

Best Practices for Planning Services During Large Cohort Refugee Arrivals  
Based on Syrian refugee response, this study seeks to identify best practice recommendations for planning and delivering services when large cohorts of refugees arrive within a short span of time. Our study results show that the urgency and extraordinary situation of large cohort arrivals of Syrian refugees within a few months was met with an extraordinary response in terms of public goodwill, rapid response, problem-solving, and scale of planning and delivery of services.