Routine childhood vaccination among ethnocultural groups in Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic: A national cross-sectional study

Abstract

Some ethnocultural groups in Canada experience low routine childhood vaccination, with social locations and discriminations contributing to inequities. This study aimed to characterize routine childhood vaccination in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the influence of discriminatory experiences when accessing health services. We conducted a cross-sectional national survey to assess parents' acceptance of routine vaccines for their children ≤ 17 years in Oct/Nov 2021. Descriptive statistics were used to explore differences among ethnocultural groups and logistic regression to assess associations with parents' low acceptance. Of 2531 parents, 21.8 % self-identified as Racialized minorities, 7.7 % Indigenous, 23.3 % newcomers, 10.0 % spoke minority languages most often, and 69.6 % belonged to a reference group who did not report these characteristics. Statistically significant findings included 36.6 % of Indigenous parents reporting that the pandemic made them realize that routine vaccines were more important compared to 16.7 % of newcomers. Discrimination/racism when accessing health services was most often experienced by Indigenous (27.8 %) and Racialized minorities (20.2 %), compared to the reference group (4.8 %). Racialized minorities were more likely to report low acceptance of routine vaccination (aOR = 2.19, 95 % CI: 1.18-4.05), and younger parents and those with only preschool-aged children were less likely to have low acceptance (aOR = 0.59, 95 % CI: 0.37-0.94; aOR = 0.53, 95 % CI: 0.36, 0.79). Low acceptance was associated with everyday stress preventing vaccination (aOR = 2.18, 95 % CI: 1.41-3.38). Public health decision-makers should ensure equitable access to routine childhood vaccination that targets the inclusion of ethnocultural groups, who may experience disproportionate barriers and low acceptance.

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