Context matters: How to research vaccine attitudes and uptake after the COVID-19 crisis.

The pandemic dramatically accelerated research on vaccine attitudes and uptake, a field which mobilizes researchers from the social sciences and humanities as well as biomedical and public health disciplines. The field has the potential to contribute much more, but the growth in research and the deeper connections between disciplines brings challenges as well as opportunities. This perspective article assesses the recent development of the field, exploring progress whilst emphasizing that not enough attention has been paid to national and local contexts.

What happens at two? Immunisation stakeholders' perspectives on factors influencing sub-optimal childhood vaccine uptake for toddlers in regional and remote Western Australia.

Background: In Western Australia (WA), children aged 24 months living regionally or remotely (non-urban) have suboptimal vaccine uptake. As there has not yet been a systematic approach to understanding the facilitators and barriers to childhood vaccination in regional and remote WA, this study aimed to understand the views of key immunisation stakeholders regarding barriers and solutions.

Methods: Drawing on the World Health Organization's "Tailoring Immunization Programmes" approach, we undertook a qualitative study with three forms of data collection: (1) semi-structured interviews with immunisation experts within Australia's immunisation system, (2) a semi-structured focus group with immunisation coordinators and health workers working in regional or remote WA, and (3) member checking with senior staff from WA Health.

Comorbidities and confusion: addressing COVID-19 vaccine access and information challenges.

Objective: Early in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, evidence emerged that individuals with chronic and immunocompromising conditions faced increased risk of severe infection, including death. The Australian Government and public health authorities prioritised these citizens' access to vaccines, including them in phase 1b of the rollout from 22 March 2021. Given the rapidly evolving knowledge and advice, we sought to understand what people with comorbidities understood about their eligibility, where they obtained information, and their experiences interfacing with the program.

Public values to guide childhood vaccination mandates: A report on four Australian community juries.

Objective: Governments use vaccination mandates, of different degrees of coerciveness, to encourage or require childhood vaccination. We elicited the views of well-informed community members on the public acceptability of using childhood vaccination mandates in Australia.

Methods: Four community juries were conducted in Canberra, Launceston, Cairns and Melbourne, Australia between 2021 and 2022.

Attitudes, perceptions, and experiences of Western Australians towards vaccine safety surveillance systems following COVID-19 vaccines: A qualitative descriptive study.

Objective: Concerns regarding adverse events following immunisation (AEFI) are a barrier to vaccine uptake. Health professionals use vaccine safety surveillance systems (VSSS) to monitor vaccines and inform the public of safety data. With little known about public attitudes, perceptions, and experiences with VSSS, we examined them in the context of COVID-19 vaccinations in Western Australia.