Qualitative interviews – key findings

This page summarises the findings from in-depth interviews with 15 adults across Australia, exploring the factors that influence their decisions about influenza vaccination and how they can be better supported to get vaccinated.

Participants highlighted 2 main areas that could be improved to create a more supportive vaccination environment:

Communication
Service delivery

Communication

Opportunities for conversations and questions about influenza vaccination

All participants consistently described the value of having more opportunities to discuss influenza vaccination with health professionals, family, friends and others in their community.
Many participants wanted health professionals to actively start these conversations rather than to raise the issue themselves.
Participants valued annual reminders and prompts to help them remember when they were due for vaccinations.
Participants said that being included in conversations about vaccination helped them feel supported and informed.

‘It would be nice for the doctor to just kind of bring it up, “Is there any concerns you’ve got? Is there anything you want to talk about?” I think doing that kind of sets up the room for discussion about it.’
– Maya, 36, South Australia

Timely, locally relevant information about influenza vaccination

Participants wanted access to locally relevant information before the influenza season – this could be communicated by a health professional, vaccination expert or as part of a broader campaign.
Participants indicated information should include the types of influenza vaccines currently available, how they work and their potential side effects.
Community information sessions, such as those held at local libraries, were seen as a convenient way to address these information needs.

‘Because the local libraries have a lot of sessions of all sorts of things, and they teach you lots of different things, and they have little workshops. So, then you can sit down, and then you’ve got a couple of different people there, and you can ask them different questions.’
– Mina, 42, Queensland

Service delivery

Consistent, personalised vaccination experiences

Participants reported a need for more consistency, as vaccination processes and services differed considerably between providers.
Participants valued the opportunity to discuss specific questions and concerns during vaccination appointments.
Those who experienced needle anxiety or discomfort valued being able to discuss strategies to support their comfort with vaccination staff.

‘Sometimes the nurse is a bit more pleasant and sort of seems to be taking a bit more care than others … some of them are – very rough, I suppose is a way to put it. And then other ones are a bit – I guess, have a softer approach. They welcome you into the room. They say, “How are you? Are you happy to have the needle?”… I just think that’s service to your clientele.’
– Lucy, 49, Australian Capital Territory

Improved access to vaccination

Integrating vaccination into everyday routines was important to participants – for example, through work-based vaccination programs.
Long GP wait times drove demand for more convenient vaccination options, particularly in areas outside major cities where fewer services were available.
Affordability was a consideration, with some participants who had received free influenza vaccines saying that they would have been deterred if it were not free. Others were willing to pay out of pocket but chose vaccination services based on affordability, sometimes at the expense of convenience.

‘I now live in a rural part of Australia [and] it’s very, very difficult to get to see a GP in anything less than 2 weeks from making an appointment … when I’ve made the decision [to get the influenza vaccine], I just want to do it. I want to get it out of the way, tick it off my list so I don’t have to keep remembering.’
– Niko, 61, New South Wales

Access comprehensive findings from the qualitative study (publication)

Back to key findings overview