Designing tailored interventions to address barriers to vaccination

Despite efforts to promote vaccination and make vaccination services easily accessible, vaccination coverage rates remain below the target rate for many vaccines in various jurisdictions. The Tailoring Immunization Programmes (TIP) approach was developed by the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe to support efforts of countries to achieve high and equitable vaccination uptake. In this Canadian Vaccination Evidence Resource and Exchange Centre (CANVax) series, we present key insights from the TIP planning framework to assist vaccine program planners, policy makers and vaccine providers to identify the interventions that will lead to increased vaccine uptake. The TIP is a phased approach that involves the following: 1) a clear diagnosis of the root cause of low vaccination; 2) an intervention based on this understanding; and 3) an evaluation of the implementation process and the impact of the interventions. At the provider-patient level, the approaches and insights of the TIP planning framework could inform vaccination consultation by emphasizing the importance of engaging with and listening to the patients and caregivers, and responding to their needs.