“The needle is already ready to go”: communities’ and health care professionals’ perceptions of routine vaccination in Nunavik, Canada

ABSTRACTInuit living in the northern region of Nunavik continue to experience significant health inequalities, which are rooted in colonialism that still have repercussions on their health-related perceptions and practices, including vaccination. This study aimed to explore the perceptions and deter...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International Journal of Circumpolar Health
Main Authors: Eve Dubé, Marie-Pierre Renaud, Marie-Claude Lyonnais, Catherine Pelletier, Christopher Fletcher
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 1481
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1080/22423982.2023.2295042
https://doaj.org/article/cb2c08f607704ec0a2301931fc222dea
Description
Summary:ABSTRACTInuit living in the northern region of Nunavik continue to experience significant health inequalities, which are rooted in colonialism that still have repercussions on their health-related perceptions and practices, including vaccination. This study aimed to explore the perceptions and determinants of routine vaccination among the Inuit of Nunavik by describing factors influencing vaccination decisions from the perspective of community members and health professionals. Semi-structured interviews focusing on the perception of vaccination and experience with vaccination and health services were conducted with 18 Inuit and 11 non-Inuit health professionals. Using the socio-ecological model, factors acting at the community and public policy (e.g. rumours and misinformation about vaccination, language barrier), organisational (e.g. complexity of the vaccination process, staff turnover, lack of specialised vaccination workers and interpreters), and intrapersonal and interpersonal (e.g. past experiences with vaccination, vaccine attitudes, social norms) levels were identified as having an impact on vaccination decisions. Improving vaccination coverage in Nunavik requires a more global reflection on how to improve and culturally adapt the health care and services offered to the Inuit population.