Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, international global health and human rights organizations have been vocal about the need for inclusive and equitable vaccination schemes. Early immunization was particularly urgent for displaced populations, due to their overrepresentation as workers in key industries and services, overcrowded living conditions in refugee camps, and pre-existing vulnerabilities associated with unequal access to income, healthcare services, quality of nutrition and environment.
Access to vaccination for migrants and refugees was also supported by the overwhelming consensus that universal vaccine coverage would be integral in any effective global public health response.
Despite this, the inclusion of migrant and refugee populations in vaccination schemes has been slow, fragmented and varied across countries. Difficulties in vaccine rollouts in humanitarian settings, administrative and legal barriers, inadequate outreach campaigns and lack of political will have impeded the implementation of guidelines and protocols on the ground.
This panel will discuss:
- What are the challenges with access to vaccinations for migrants and refugees?
- What are the lessons learned from Covid-19 vaccination schemes?
- What are the positive examples in securing commitments and their implementation?
