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The Challenge of Reaching Undocumented Migrants with COVID-19 Vaccination

Author

Listed:
  • Stephen A. Matlin

    (Institute of Global Health Innovation, Imperial College London, South Kensington, London SW7 2AZ, UK)

  • Alyna C. Smith

    (Rue du Congrès/Congresstraat 37-41, P.O. Box 5, 1000 Brussels, Belgium)

  • Jessica Merone

    (Human Rights Center, University of Padova, Via 8 Febbraio, 2, 35122 Padova, Italy)

  • Michele LeVoy

    (Rue du Congrès/Congresstraat 37-41, P.O. Box 5, 1000 Brussels, Belgium)

  • Jalpa Shah

    (Santé Publique France, 12 rue du Val d’Osne, CEDEX, 94415 Saint-Maurice, France)

  • Frank Vanbiervliet

    (Bruss’help, 1000 Brussels, Belgium)

  • Stéphanie Vandentorren

    (Santé Publique France, 12 rue du Val d’Osne, CEDEX, 94415 Saint-Maurice, France
    INSERM UMR 1219-Bordeaux Population Health, University of Bordeaux, 33000 Bordeaux, France)

  • Joanna Vearey

    (African Centre for Migration & Society (ACMS), University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2000, South Africa)

  • Luciano Saso

    (Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy)

Abstract

Access to vaccination against a health threat such as that presented by the COVID-19 pandemic is an imperative driven, in principle, by at least three compelling factors: (1) the right to health of all people, irrespective of their status; (2) humanitarian need of undocumented migrants, as well as of others including documented migrants, refugees and displaced people who are sometimes vulnerable and living in precarious situations; and (3) the need to ensure heath security globally and nationally, which in the case of a global pandemic requires operating on the basis that, for vaccination strategies to succeed in fighting a pandemic, the highest possible levels of vaccine uptake are required. Yet some population segments have had limited access to mainstream health systems, both prior to as well as during the COVID-19 pandemic. People with irregular resident status are among those who face extremely high barriers in accessing both preventative and curative health care. This is due to a range of factors that drive exclusion, both on the supply side (e.g., systemic and practical restrictions in service delivery) and the demand side (e.g., in uptake, including due to fears that personal data would be transmitted to immigration authorities). Moreover, undocumented people have often been at increased risk of infection due to their role as “essential workers”, including those experiencing higher exposure to the SARS-CoV-2 virus due to frontline occupations while lacking protective equipment. Often, they have also been largely left out of social protection measures granted by governments to their populations during successive lockdowns. This article reviews the factors that serve as supply-side and demand-side barriers to vaccination for undocumented migrants and considers what steps need to be taken to ensure that inclusive approaches operate in practice.

Suggested Citation

  • Stephen A. Matlin & Alyna C. Smith & Jessica Merone & Michele LeVoy & Jalpa Shah & Frank Vanbiervliet & Stéphanie Vandentorren & Joanna Vearey & Luciano Saso, 2022. "The Challenge of Reaching Undocumented Migrants with COVID-19 Vaccination," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(16), pages 1-25, August.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:16:p:9973-:d:886864
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Amirhossein Takian & Mohammad Mehdi Kiani & Khatere Khanjankhani, 2020. "COVID-19 and the need to prioritize health equity and social determinants of health," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 65(5), pages 521-523, June.
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