Experiences and perceptions of migrant populations in South Africa on COVID-19 immunization: an interpretative phenomenological analysis.

Introduction: Migrant populations (asylum seekers, permit holders, refugees, and undocumented migrants) living in South Africa face various individual, social, and physical circumstances that underpin their decisions, motivation, and ability to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. We conducted a qualitative study to explore the experiences and perceptions of migrant populations in South Africa on COVID-19 vaccines to inform recommendations for improved COVID-19 immunization.
Methods: We conducted an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) with 20 asylum seekers, permit holders, refugees, and undocumented migrants living in South Africa. We applied a maximum variation purposive sampling approach to capture all three categories of migrants in South Africa. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and recorded electronically with consent and permission from the study participants. The recordings were transcribed and analyzed thematically following the IPA using Atlas.ti version 9.
Results: Four major reflective themes emanated from the data analysis. (1) While some migrants perceived being excluded from the South African national immunization program at the level of advertisement and felt discriminated against at the immunization centers, others felt included in the program at all levels. (2) Skepticism, myths, and conspiracy theories around the origin of SARS-CoV-2 and the COVID-19 vaccine are pervasive among migrant populations in South Africa. (3) There is a continuum of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance/hesitancy ranging from being vaccinated through waiting for the chance to be vaccinated to refusal. (4) Accepting the vaccine or being hesitant follows the beliefs of the participant, knowledge of the vaccine's benefits, and lessons learned from others already vaccinated.
Conclusion: COVID-19 vaccine inclusiveness, awareness, and uptake should be enhanced through migrant-aware policies and actions such as community mobilization, healthcare professional training, and mass media campaigns.
Competing Interests: Declarations Ethics approval and consent to participate Ethics approval was obtained from the Humanities and Social Sciences Research Ethics Committee of the University of the Western Cape (HS20/6/6). The following ethical conditions were adhered to after obtaining ethics clearance: Informed consent was signed by each participant before participating in the in-depth interviews. Before they signed the informed consent form, each participant was debriefed on the research purpose, aims, and objectives of the study and the research process. The participants were also informed of their rights to withdraw from the study and the interview at any time they wanted without any consequences, like being reported to the authorities of their immigration status. Participants were encouraged to ask questions to obtain clarity about the study. Permission was obtained from the different social organizations where the participants were sampled. Participants also agreed that the interview sessions should be audio recorded. To ensure confidentiality, we only used the first names of the participants and their countries of origin when reporting excerpts from their interviews. Consent for publication Not applicable. Competing interests The authors declare no competing interests.
(© 2024. The Author(s).)