Exploring how people who are in prison make decisions about vaccines
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Qualitative study to explore the factors that influence decision-making processes about vaccines by people who are in prison
IRAS ID
305467
Contact name
Lynne Rush
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Public Health Scotland
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 4 months, 21 days
Research summary
Prisons are a high risk setting for transmission of COVID-19 due to a large population living in close contact and infrastructure that can make mitigating measures such as physical distancing and achieving optimum ventilation challenging. In comparison to the general population, those in prison have higher rates of chronic illness which increases the risk of more severe disease outcomes from COVID-19. Throughout late 2020 and 2021, there have been several large and prolonged outbreaks of COVID-19 across Scotland. The introduction of the UK COVID-19 vaccination programme in December 2020 has been associated with a reduction in severe disease and mortality. Maximising vaccine coverage in prisons is essential to protect the health of individuals and the wider prison population. Previous research demonstrates that delivering vaccine programmes in the prison setting provides an opportunity to promote uptake by removing access barriers; however little is known about other factors associated with vaccine hesitancy in this population. The aim of this study is to explore the attitudes and beliefs about vaccines that people who are in prison have and how these may influence their decision-making. The findings will be used by Public Health Scotland to inform communications about the COVID-19 and future vaccination programmes for people in prison to ensure that they meet the needs of this population and empower individuals to make fully informed choices.
REC name
West of Scotland REC 3
REC reference
21/WS/0134
Date of REC Opinion
6 Dec 2021
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion