The H1N1/09 (sub-type A) virus was declared to be a pandemic influenza on June 11th, 2009. In response, Canadian public health agencies planned mass vaccination clinics to protect the public. However, little information existed to aid in the planning of mass vaccination clinics, as they had not been used in previous pandemic flu outbreaks. This was further complicated by fear of a limited vaccine supply and nurse shortages. Public health nurses (PHNs), as the largest group of public health professionals were pivotal in implementing the mass vaccination clinics. Yet, the available evidence indicated that PHNs involvement in H1N1/09 response planning was limited and their experiences on the frontline in the mass vaccination clinics were not well understood. The purpose of this study was to give PHNs’ a voice to describe their experiences in the H1N1/09 mass vaccination clinics. A framework based on Foucault’s concepts of knowledge, power, and resistance was developed as the theoretical lens to guide the research. Using an interpretive descriptive methodology, a purposeful sample of 23 PHNs (16 front-line immunizers, seven clinic supervisors) participated in semi-structured interviews. Four pandemic planning documents containing policies in place during the pandemic outbreak were also reviewed to provide context to participants’ experiences. Interpretive descriptive analysis was used to analyze the interviews and pandemic documents. Guba and Lincoln’s (1994) trustworthiness framework was implemented to evaluate the rigour of the study’s findings. Two overall core themes emerged to describe participants’ experiences. The core theme ‘the necessity of knowledge’, illustrated participants’ feelings of unpreparedness entering into the H1N1/09 clinics. Limited notice of the pandemic response, uncertainties regarding the clinics’ anticipated timeframe, and a lack of knowledge on vaccination and clinic management, contributed to a loss of power in the participants’ role. In the second core theme ‘essential supports in protecting the population’, many perceived a lack of agency support when they tried to exercise power in their clinical practice. Although participants did not refuse to immunize in, or supervise, the mass vaccination clinics, participants at times did display subtle resistance. Insights gained from participants’ experiences have implications in terms of public health nursing administration, practice, research, and education. A key recommendation is to involve PHNs in future pandemic planning to optimize mass vaccination clinics’ operations. If this cannot happen, PHNs should at least be informed of the disciplinary discourse utilized to guide clinical decisions. This will help nurses be supported in their own pandemic roles and contribute to the provision of quality population care.

Many immunization programs in developing countries arr now undergoing a period of rapid utilization. Innovative strategies, such as immunization holidays, are being tried. Political commitment and enthusiasm are high. There is a strong desire by health professionals to protect the lives of many children from the untimely death and/or disability resulting from infectious diseases preventable by vaccination. Evaluation of an immunization program can benefit other elements of the health system, particularly those that are not amenable to objective evaluation as immunization. In this case, immunization can serve as an indicator of the overall performance of the health system. The problems revealed by evaluation of the immunization program could therefore be taken as problems generic to the health services as a whole. In remedying the problems for immunization, approaches that would improve the health services as a whole should be sought. The primary purpose of this study was to determine the intrinsic and extrinsic factors contributing to coverage and participation rates of the vaccination program in Arssi, Ethiopia. vaccination program participation is relatively easy to estimate, although its importance should not be overemphasized as the primary goal of immunization programs is the reduction in mortality, morbidity, and disability resulting from infectious diseases preventable by vaccination. The survey questionnaire, adopted by the World Health Organization (WHO), was one of the instruments used for this project. Results of the evaluation in 1988 showed that only 66.5% of the children surveyed were fully vaccinated, while 26.9% were partially vaccinated, and 16.6% were not vaccinated at all. Comparisons of the survey results between the years 1983, 1985, and 1988 was made to determine whether or not there was improvement in vaccination coverage between the years. Decisions about the differences of the survey results in population proportions between the years were based on whether or not the differences were scientifically significant, leading us to the rejection of the null hypothesis of no difference (zero), and whether or not the results were scientifically important (whether or not the results showed an increase in vaccination coverage). An increase in usage rate was noticed more in 1988 than the previous survey results of 1985 and 1983. Mothers or guardians were asked about the possible reasons of immunization failures when their children or themselves were found partially or not-vaccinated. The reasons included such facts as lack of information, lack of motivation, obstacles/barriers, and wrong/improper vaccination techniques. Based on the literature review and the survey results, recommendations were made to help correct the observed problems and achieve a higher level of vaccination coverage.

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Bakgrund: Barnvaccinationsstatistiken i Sverige är hög och endast ett fåtal föräldrar väljer att inte följa det svenska vaccinationsprogrammet. Tidigare forskning visar dock att föräldrar kan ha frågor och åsikter om vaccinets innehåll och verkan. Utifrån BVC- sköterskans erfarenhet av föräldrars frågor och åsikter i samband med vaccination av sina barn på BVC kan BVC-sköterskan genom denna studie bli bättre förberedd på att möta föräldrar. Detta torde kunna bidra till att skapa ytterligare trygghet kring vaccination av deras barn. Syfte: Syftet med studien var att undersöka BVC-sköterskans erfarenhet av föräldrars frågor och åsikter i samband med vaccination av sina barn på BVC. Metod: Studien har en kvalitativ induktiv ansats. Fjorton semistruktirerade intervjuer genomfördes med BVC-sköterskor som arbetat på BVC mellan ett till 37 år. Datamaterial analyserades med hjälp av kvalitativ innehållsanalys. Resultat: Resultatet visar att föräldrars frågor och åsikter allt mer tenderar att handla om att både hantera traditionella frågor och åsikter om smärta och biverkningar men även om en allt mer aktuell utmaning gällande informationsflödet som föräldrar möter idag. Resultatet sammanfattas i två kategorier: Frågor och åsikter om att vaccinera eller inte och Frågor och åsikter om vaccinet och dess följder. Slutsats: Föreliggande studie visar att BVC-sköterskorna har erfarenhet av att föräldrar har frågor och åsikter om vaccinationer. Studien kan tillföra betydelsefull kunskap om hur föräldrar söker information och på så vis ge förbättringsmöjligheter. / Background: The statistics for child vaccinations in Sweden are high, only a few parents choose not to follow the Swedish vaccination program. However, previous studies show that parents can have questions and opinions regarding the vaccines content and effects. From the BVC nurses experience of the parent´s questions and opinions in relation to the vaccination of their child at the BVC, a BVC nurse can through this study be better equipped to meet parents. This should be able to contribute to creating additional sense of security with regards to the vaccination of the child. Goal: The aim of this study was to analyse the BVC nurses experience of a parent´s questions and opinions in relation to the vaccination of their child at the BVC. Method: The study has a qualitative inductive approach. Fourteen semi-structured interviews were carried out with BVC nurses that have worked at a BVC for a duration of one to 37 years. The data material was analysed with the help of qualitative content analysis. Result: The result shows that a parent´s questions and opinions more than ever tend to revolve around both handling traditional questions regarding pain and side effects and an ever more trending challenge as the high information stream that parents meet today. The result is summarised in two categories; Questions and opinions regarding whether to vaccinate or not and Questions and opinions regarding the vaccine and its consequences. Conclusion: Previous studies show that BVC nurses have experience with regards to the parents that have questions and opinions about vaccines. The study can contribute with considerate knowledge of how parent´s search for information and in such case gice possibilities for improvement.

To add to the understanding of the COVID-19 information landscape, the aim of this thesis was to investigate the information seeking behaviours of Swedish gymnasium students regarding the vaccination against COVID-19. The theoretical framework used to guide this study was based on  active and passive information seeking behaviour as defined by Bates (2002), and information avoidance as defined by Narayan et al. (2011). Within this context, relevant elements of the concepts of trust and decision were included as well, to see how they feature within the overall information seeking behaviour. This thesis implemented a mixed method approach to reach the aim, which was executed through an online survey for quantitative data, and semi-structured interviews for qualitative data. An analytical framework was also established to guide the study from the chosen variables to relevant research and finally for the analysis of results. The results showed that all three directions of seeking behaviour were present among the demographic but differed in execution and purpose. Passive seeking was the behaviour that occurred most often and had the strongest relation to trust and decision. A high trust in authorities, based on passive information received, combined with equally high trust in oneself proved crucial within the understanding of the information seeking behaviour regarding the topic. Information avoidance did hardly occur at all, while active information seeking existed, but not for the reason to make a well-informed decision. Rather, it was performed based on a curiosity to learn about conspiracies and experiences, not facts.

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This purpose of this quantitative study was to examine health beliefs among Caribbean-born university students regarding acceptance or rejection of influenza vaccination among populations at institutions of higher education. In addition, acculturation was addressed as a factor affecting cultural health beliefs. A survey was completed by 98 students enrolled at Florida International University during the spring 2018 semester. Linear regression was used to analyze whether cultural health beliefs and acculturation were predictive of beliefs about influenza vaccination and beliefs about perceived barriers to influenza vaccination. The study findings showed cultural health beliefs of the students were statistically significant predictors of their beliefs about influenza vaccination and perceived barriers to influenza vaccination. Also, the levels of acculturation were a statistically significant predictor of students' cultural health beliefs and beliefs about perceived barriers to influenza vaccination. After 5+ years of acculturation in the United States, the students surveyed still held cultural beliefs and perceived barriers to influenza vaccination that contributed to their lack of acceptance of the vaccination. The information gained from this study gives credence to the need for designing health interventions and health messages on influenza vaccination that are culture specific for a college-age population if influenza vaccination acceptance is to be promoted.

This project sought to explore the narratives and rhetorical themes that permeate the anti-vaccination movement. Mass media has portrayed vaccine refusal groups as stupid, as conspiracy theorists, and as radically selfish. However, the data I analyzed from vaccine refusal nonprofits and advocacy groups supports that although these themes may appear to be radical, in reality, each is congruent with already present societal frameworks, particularly neoliberal social discourse and a preoccupation with the individualistic and self-determined health care rather than utilitarian or collective action.

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Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Vaccinations are an important step in preventing childhood illnesses and disease outbreaks in the community. Complete immunizations before school assure eligibility for enrollment and protect children against severe illness. The fact that foreign-born children of Latino immigrants face health disparities in receiving vaccinations is well documented. However, there is little information in the literature about the actual experience of immigrants facing the complexities of the health system, and through their eyes, which factors ultimately affect vaccination rates of immigrant Latino children. The purpose of this study is to give voice to Latino immigrant families who have recently immigrated to the United States, in terms of the issues they encountered when engaging the health care system for vaccinations.