Socioeconomic, cultural and behavioural features of prior and anticipated influenza vaccine uptake in urban and rural Pune district, India: a mixed-methods case study

Abstract

IntroductionEnsuring production capacity of efficacious vaccines for pandemic preparedness alone may not be sufficient for effective influenza control. Community willingness to accept the vaccine is also critical. Population acceptance must therefore be recognised as a major determinant of vaccine effectiveness, and the social, cultural and economic determinants of population acceptance require study for effective policy and action. Pune is a focus of pandemic influenza in India. The experience of the 2009/2010 pandemic in Pune, capacity for vaccine production and experience with vaccine use provide a unique opportunity to address key questions about an effective vaccine intervention strategy for influenza control in India. This study will examine the socioeconomic, cultural and behavioural determinants of anticipated acceptance of influenza vaccines among the urban and rural populations of Pune district. Additionally, community ideas about seasonal influenza and its distinction from pandemic influenza will be investigated. Proposed research also considers the influence of health professionals, policy makers and media professionals on the awareness, preference and use of influenza vaccines.Methods and analysisThis is a mixed-methods study including urban and rural community surveys, in-depth interviews with health professionals, case studies at two hospitals where suspected influenza cases were referred during the pandemic and in-depth interviews with media professionals and public health policy makers.Ethics and disseminationThis protocol was approved by the ethics review committees of the Maharashtra Association of Anthropological Sciences and the WHO, and by the Ethics Commission of Basel, Switzerland. The proposed research will provide a better understanding of communication and education needs for vaccine action for influenza control in India and other low-income and middle-income countries. The findings and the approach for health social science research will have implications for containment of pandemic influenza in other settings and for effective vaccine action planning for other vaccines.

Dengue vaccine acceptance and willingness to pay

“…Low SES was closely associated with low DV acceptance among community members. Similar findings were obtained in the context of other infectious diseases including human papillomavirus, 18,19 influenza, 20 and cholera. 21 To improve DV acceptance, DV introduction programs should target populations with low SES.…”

Socioeconomic and Attitudinal Variables Associated with Acceptance and Willingness to Pay Towards Dengue Vaccine: A Systematic Review

“…Other studies also revealed consistent findings in the context of other infectious diseases including human papillomavirus (25,26), influenza (27), and cholera (28). These results suggest that high socioeconomic level is closely associated with better dengue vaccine acceptance.…”

Community awareness, use and preference for pandemic influenza vaccines in Pune, India

“…Further details on setting are reported elsewhere. 32,33 Study design A mixed-methods, cross-sectional and community-based study was conducted in urban and rural areas of Pune district. The present analysis focuses on community awareness, preference and use of vaccines to prevent pandemic influenza, and primarily had a qualitative focus.…”

“…Acknowledging sociocultural differences and differences in access to health services in urban and rural communities, we conducted a mixed-method study in low-resource and middleincome urban areas, and in accessible and remote rural areas of Pune, India. 32 The first part of the study exploring community understanding and experience of pandemic influenza has recently been reported. 33 In this paper, we focus on the community-perceived role of vaccines with the objectives of (a) determining community awareness and views of pandemic influenza vaccination, (b) analyzing experience and reasons for vaccination or non-vaccination against H1N1 influenza during the 2009 pandemic and (c) clarifying community perceptions and preferences for either injectable or nasal influenza vaccines.…”