Immunization Barriers Among Newcomers

The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) is the largest paediatric hospital in Canada, and partners both locally and globally to improve the health of children through the integration of care, education, community advocacy, and patient/family partnerships. As a cornerstone of the work of the Division of Infectious Diseases, immunization is one of the most important tools used by healthcare professionals to support healthy childhood. However, there are populations of children that face barriers to immunization access, education, and awareness. For example, newcomers to Canada face systemic barriers that make immunization and engagement with the healthcare system difficult. This project seeks to understand the extent of these barriers as they relate to requirements for international vaccine records to be translated and assessed in order to allow children in Ontario to attend school. The intern will co-lead focus groups and/or interviews with newcomer families to identify how these issues can be addressed effectively and appropriately within SickKids hospital and external health care settings. In addition to understanding barriers, this project also seeks to increase awareness and use of the SickKids Immunization InfoLine, a free phone consultation service run by SickKids to provide high-quality information and guidance on immunizations directly to the Ontario public to increase immunization confidence and knowledge.

Faculty Supervisor:

Suzanne Jackson

Student:

Partner:

The Hospital for Sick Children

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Health and Related Sciences & Technology; Public administration

University:

University of Toronto

Program: