Interventions to Improve Vaccination Uptake and Cost Effectiveness of Vaccination Strategies in Newly Arrived Migrants in the EU/EEA: A Systematic Review

Charles Hui, Jessica Dunn, Rachael Morton, Lukas P. Staub, Anh Tran, Sally Hargreaves, Christina Greenaway, Beverly Ann Biggs, Robin Christensen and Kevin Pottie
Additional contact information
Charles Hui: Division of Infectious Diseases, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1H 8L1, Canada
Jessica Dunn: Division of Infectious Diseases, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1H 8L1, Canada
Rachael Morton: NHMRC Clinical Trials Centre, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Camperdown 1450, Australia
Lukas P. Staub: NHMRC Clinical Trials Centre, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Camperdown 1450, Australia
Anh Tran: NHMRC Clinical Trials Centre, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Camperdown 1450, Australia
Sally Hargreaves: International Health Unit, Section of Infectious Diseases and Immunity, Imperial College London; London W12 0NN, UK
Christina Greenaway: Division of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Epidemiology, SMBD-Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3T 1E2, Canada
Beverly Ann Biggs: Department of Medicine/RMH at the Doherty Institute, University of Melbourne, Melbourne 3000, Australia
Robin Christensen: Musculoskeletal Statistics Unit, The Parker Institute, Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital, 2000 Frederiksberg, Denmark
Kevin Pottie: Bruyere Research Institute, Ottawa, ON K1N 5C8, Canada

IJERPH, 2018, vol. 15, issue 10, 1-13

Abstract: Newly arrived migrants to the EU/EEA (arrival within the past five years), as well as other migrant groups in the region, might be under-immunised and lack documentation of previous vaccinations, putting them at increased risk of vaccine-preventable diseases circulating in Europe. We therefore performed a systematic review conforming to PRISMA guidelines (PROSPERO CRD42016045798) to explore: (i) interventions that improve vaccine uptake among migrants; and (ii) cost-effectiveness of vaccination strategies among this population. We searched MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (CDSR) between 1 January 2006 to 18 June 2018. We included three primary intervention studies performed in the EU/EEA or high-income countries and one cost effectiveness study relevant to vaccinations in migrants. Intervention studies showed small but promising impact only on vaccine uptake with social mobilization/community outreach, planned vaccination programs and education campaigns. Targeting migrants for catch-up vaccination is cost effective for presumptive vaccination for diphtheria, tetanus, and polio, and there was no evidence of benefit of carrying out pre-vaccination serological testing. The cost-effectiveness is sensitive to the seroprevalence and adherence to vaccinations of the migrant. We conclude that scarce but direct EU/EEA data suggest social mobilization, vaccine programs, and education campaigns are promising strategies for migrants, but more research is needed. Research should also study cost effectiveness of strategies. Vaccination of migrants should continue to be a public heath priority in EU/EEA.

Keywords: VPD; immunisation strategies; health systems; refugees; migrants; cost effectiveness (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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