Social science in immunisation Our work Main navigation Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander immunisation Australian Immunisation Handbook AusVaxSafety Big data Clinical research COSSI COVID-19 Disease surveillance and epidemiology Education and training New South Wales Immunisation Specialist Service (NSWISS) Paediatric Active Enhanced Disease Surveillance (PAEDS) PHN Immunisation Support program Program evaluation Regional and global collaborations Research to inform policy Sharing Knowledge About Immunisation (SKAI) Serosurveillance Social science in immunisation Vaccine coverage Vaccine safety Social science research is a core component of NCIRS’s work. The aims of social science research at NCIRS are to: seek insights on the behavioural, social, cultural and structural drivers of vaccine uptake investigate evidence-based approaches to improve vaccine uptake inform immunisation policy and programs. The NCIRS Social Science Unit conducts original research to achieve these aims using a range of methods, including qualitative interviews and focus groups, surveys and online intervention testing. NCIRS also incorporates social science research and insights across a broad range of organisational activities, including communications, policy development, program evaluation, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander immunisation, vaccine safety and immunisation in the Asia-Pacific regions. The NCIRS Social Science Unit also collaborates and consults on a range of social science immunisation projects with local and international collaborators and consortiums (see ‘Other activities’). Recent and current projects Aboriginal influenza vaccination study This is an exploratory study to understand family–provider communication needs related to influenza vaccination in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. The Social Science Unit is purposely approaching immunisation stakeholders and Aboriginal communities in geographically diverse areas of New South Wales (using qualitative methods) to gather and explore a range of perspectives. The team is conducting this study with cultural guidance from and in collaboration with the NCIRS National Indigenous Immunisation Coordinator (NIIC) and the NCIRS Cultural Governance Group (CGG). COVID-19 vaccine safety communication The Social Science Unit is working with the WHO Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety to produce guidelines on communicating about COVID-19 vaccine safety. Risk communication principles inform these guidelines, developed for health authorities and other vaccine safety stakeholders. NCIRS Professorial Fellow Julie Leask is leading this project. COVID-19 vaccination messaging This research aims to develop evidence-based public health messages to support COVID-19 vaccination programs. As the COVID-19 pandemic evolves and vaccines are deployed, it is important to understand people’s perceptions and attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccines. This is especially the case for people in high-risk and priority groups, who will be first in line to receive a vaccine. The Social Science Unit is exploring NSW community perspectives on COVID-19 vaccines, and developing evidence-based messages that respond to these perspectives. Research findings will inform communications that support people’s ability to make informed decisions about vaccination, and help build public trust and confidence in a COVID-19 vaccination program. SKAI influenza update The Social Science Unit developed influenza vaccination resources for parents to enhance the Sharing Knowledge About Immunisation (SKAI) package. The team designed these resources to support parents’ influenza vaccination information needs and guide them in their decision to vaccinate. Other activities COSSI The Collaboration on Social Science and Immunisation (COSSI) is a collective of people from Australia and around the world who work collaboratively to improve vaccine acceptance and uptake by understanding barriers and enablers of immunisation. COSSI is an initiative of NCIRS and the University of Sydney, established in 2016. Members of the NCIRS Social Science Unit are on the COSSI Committee. SKAI technical updates The Sharing Knowledge About Immunisation (SKAI) package comprises an eLearning Module and two websites, one for parents and one for immunisation providers. The Social Science Unit provides technical expertise, and works with the NCIRS Communications team to promote, update and disseminate SKAI. AusVaxSafety NCIRS and partners established AusVaxSafety in 2014 to monitor adverse events following influenza immunisation in children. Social science research will inform the next stage of the initiative to evaluate the surveillance system. Australian Regional Immunisation Alliance (ARIA) NCIRS established ARIA in 2019 in collaboration with experts and partners from multiple Australian universities and research institutes. Social science research is informing efforts to support immunisation activities in the Asia-Pacific regions. WHO Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety NCIRS works with the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety (GACVS) on various projects. Social and communication science informed the development of guidelines for COVID-19 vaccine safety communication. Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) NCIRS provides scientific research support to the ATAGI and the Immunisation and Communicable Diseases Branch of the Australian Government Department of Health. Social science research supports the development and implementation of national immunisation policies. Student projects: past and present The NCIRS social science unit has supported a number of postgraduate, higher degree by research (HDR) scholars over the years. Some of the more recent students and projects are shown below. HDR scholar Institution Project dates Project title Supervisors Funding Year of graduation Samantha Carlson (PhD) The University of Sydney 2016-2020 Attitudes about and access to influenza vaccination in Australia: experiences of parents of children hospitalised for acute respiratory infection Julie Leask (Co-primary) Kristine Macartney (Co-primary) Helen Quinn NSW Ministry of Health under the NSW Health PhD Scholarship Program 2020 Catherine King (PhD) The University of Sydney 2008-2018 (part-time) Influenza and influenza vaccination: examining parental perspectives and practices to inform vaccination policy and programs Julie Leask (Primary) Kerrie Wiley Partially supported by an ARC Linkage Grant (LP0884126) awarded to the PIVOT study Self-supporting 2018 Samantha Carlson (MPH) The University of Sydney 2015 Discussing immunisation on Facebook: a pilot study Kerrie Wiley Self-supporting 2016 Maria Chow (PhD) The University of Sydney 2010-2013 Psychological and social impact of influenza-like-illness in children on their families Julie Leask (Primary) Robert Booy Angie Morrow USyd International Scholarship 2013 To view publications that resulted from their work, refer to the Publications page. If students are interested in being supervised by NCIRS social science staff, please send an email to: SCHN-NCIRS@health.nsw.gov.au. News & Events (17) All news & events 27 November 2020 | News COVID-19 vaccines: Frequently asked questions 21 January 2021 | News Update on Australia’s COVID-19 vaccines 11 December 2020 | News Karen Orr Immunisation Nurse Education Scholarship – 2020 winners announced 25 November 2020 | News 2019 Vaccine safety in Australia AusVaxSafety summary report 110 views