Grant: Project Grant

Early childhood vaccines protect children and their families from death and contagious disease, including polio, measles, mumps and pertussis. However, in the years leading up to the COVID-19 pandemic, childhood vaccination rates began to drop across much of Canada. During the pandemic, childhood rates declined even further in some areas, raising concern among public health workers. All of this took place against a backdrop of ongoing systemic anti-Indigenous racism against Red River Métis in the health system. Manitoba Health responded to the low rates by launching a public health campaign promoting the importance of childhood vaccinations, particularly for those who had fallen behind on their scheduled vaccines. Preliminary data suggest the campaign worked for some but not all Manitoba children, but we don't know why or for whom it didn't have much effect. We also lack Nation-specific information on whether it boosted childhood vaccination among Métis families. Public health officials from the Manitoba Métis Federation and the provincial government are now partnering with population health scientists for this multi-method research project. We will analyze health system data and hold focus groups with Manitoba families to better understand how the public health campaign influenced decision-making on childhood vaccination during and after the pandemic. The project will shed light on whether the campaign effort improved childhood vaccination among Métis families, who have been systemically impacted by anti-Indigenous racism in the health system. Our findings will support the development of strategies aimed at keeping childhood vaccination rates high in Manitoba as well as Nation-specific strategies for Red River Métis citizens. There are broad applications across Canada, especially where Indigenous citizens face racism in the health system. Ultimately, this work will help mitigate the adverse effects of future public health emergencies on child health.