Social science in immunisation

National Vaccination Insights is a collaborative project with the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute and SABII.

The project delivers routine, systematic data and insights on vaccination barriers and drivers. These inform strategies to improve vaccination uptake in different populations across Australia.  

Learn more about the National Vaccination Insights project

Learn more about strategies to address vaccination barriers 

Sharing Knowledge about Immunisation (SKAI) provides respectful and helpful answers to common questions about immunisation from pregnancy to adulthood. It also provides resources and training for healthcare providers to support effective vaccine conversations with community members.  

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The NCIRS Social Science Unit contributed to a study led by Professor Julia Brotherton that aimed to improve understanding of the decline in HPV vaccination coverage in the 2023 school cohort. For the study, we documented the experiences of immunisation program managers in changing from a 2-dose to single-dose HPV vaccination course, as well as broader challenges in the school-based immunisation program.

The NCIRS Social Science Unit conducted a qualitative study with parents of school-aged children to understand the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on school-based vaccination programs. We identified barriers to, and facilitators of, vaccine uptake among adolescents during the pandemic. We also made recommendations to improve school-based programs and monitor their progress.  

Access the study on parents’ experiences

Access the study on rebuilding trust in vaccination post COVID-19 

The NCIRS Social Science Unit created a visual summary of practical strategies to improve childhood vaccination rates in communities that may generally support vaccination, but which experience socio-economic disadvantage and barriers to accessing immunisation services. This work drew from work previously conducted by Dr Kasia Bolsewicz, the University of Sydney, the World Health Organization, NSW Ministry of Health and local public health units involved in implementing five WHO Tailoring Immunization Programmes across New South Wales.  

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With cultural guidance from Aboriginal researchers and the NCIRS National Immunisation Coordinator at the time of the study, Katrina Clark, the NCIRS Social Science Unit conducted a qualitative study with Aboriginal communities and immunisation stakeholders in geographically diverse areas of NSW. The study aimed to better understand people’s experiences with vaccination against influenza, and ways to improve vaccination uptake. Findings informed SKAI resources to support influenza vaccination for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

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Access the SKAI resources

The Social Science Consumer Advisory Group ensures Social Science Unit research priorities and public-facing resources align with the priorities of consumers.  

The Consumer Researcher Program integrates the perspectives of those with lived experience into NCIRS Social Science Unit work.  

The Collaboration on Social Science and Immunisation (COSSI) is a network of people from Australia and around the world who work collaboratively to improve vaccine acceptance and uptake.

COSSI is an initiative of NCIRS and the University of Sydney. Members of the NCIRS Social Science Unit are on the COSSI Steering Committee.

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‘Vaccines and Public Health’ is an elective offered as part of the Masters of Public Health by the University of Sydney. It incorporates a module developed by the Social Science Unit that includes online lectures, real social science of immunisation case studies and interactive group activities.  

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The Social Science Unit collaborates within NCIRS and with health partners nationally to build capacity in qualitative and quantitative methodologies and the social science of immunisation.