Grant: Pro. Gr. - PA: Pandemic Preparedness and Health Emergencies: ECI Grant

The introduction of new health innovations that bring substantial health benefits for those who receive them, such as vaccines against COVID-19, is very challenging. Challenges can include unequal access or uptake from different groups of people leading to worsening health inequities. Health inequities are differences in health outcomes that are avoidable and linked to social differences and disadvantages. Health inequities were brought to public attention when socially privileged areas with fewer COVID cases had initially higher vaccine coverage. All provinces created policies to speed up COVID vaccination rates (e.g., vaccine passports), but their effects on differing social groups are unknown. The goal of our proposal is to improve provincial health system capabilities to introduce new health innovations more effectively without creating worse health inequities. We will gather a network of investigator-analyst teams from different provinces (i.e., Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec) and an advisory team of public health authorities who were involved with planning and implementing COVID-19 vaccination policy. We will assess the effects of 3 policies to speed access and vaccine coverage (i.e., [1] vaccine distribution focused on "COVID hot spots" [2] vaccine passports and mandates in certain sectors and settings; and [3] financial incentives) within different groups by looking at COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in different neighbourhoods across five provinces. The project will conclude in a daylong round table to discuss study findings and directions for future practice with a group of public health experts and affected communities, including those in other provinces. The main output will be a white paper with a summary of the main takeaways around best practices for introducing health innovations like COVID-19 vaccines for increasing health equity and public health impact.