Increasing childhood vaccination among rural/semi-urban low socioeconomic communities in Romania: insights and recommended actions

Overview

Immunization is fundamental to a strong health system and timely routine immunization is essential for all children. Romania has experienced a steady decline in vaccination coverage over the past decade, particularly with regards to the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine. In this context, the WHO Country Office in Romania and the WHO Regional Office for Europe, alongside the Ministry of Health and National Institute of Public Health, conducted a qualitative research study with health workers and parents/caregivers in rural and semi-urban low socioeconomic communities in Romania to explore barriers to childhood vaccination faced by these groups. The results show that the decrease in vaccination coverage is driven by a combination of factors, including limited access to health and vaccination services, socioeconomic gaps, lack of information and mistrust in vaccines and/or the health system. Health workers often lack the resources and tools to engage their patients in meaningful, trust-building conversations. Study recommendations and resultant planned interventions focus on increasing community interventions and outreach via visual information materials and strengthening the communication skills of health workers to enable them to address vaccination-related concerns in an emphatic manner.