Medical journal The Lancet published a study examining the disproportionate impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic on vulnerable migrant communities (including refugees and asylum seekers), the obstacles that exist in ensuring their equitable access to vaccinations, and the necessity that EU Member States prioritise efforts to ensure such equitable access. 

According to the study, evidence shows that migrants in high-income countries - unprotected and overexposed to infection - are at increased risk of virus contraction and are therefore more represented among COVID-19 cases and deaths. This is because of:

• overcrowded and unsafe housing (increasing the risk of viral transmission);
• substandard or informal job settings (associated with greater close-contact exposure);
• limited awareness of prevention measures due to the absence of a consistent COVID-19 health information strategy for culturally and linguistically diverse communities.

The report also highlights the existence of broad inconsistencies in the immunisation directives of EU Member States. For example, while some states do explicitly mention migrants in their vaccination plans, only a few include them as a priority group. Their exclusion can lead to failure to develop specific interventions to reach them, and by extension the failure to vaccinate a portion of a population.

The paper recommends that Member States collectively ensure consistent vaccination policy implementation, by identifying the barriers and behavioural factors that affect vaccination uptake among migrant groups and taking these into account. This could be achieved, for example, through the improvement of community outreach and engagement strategies for underserved subjects, and the dissemination of reliable, accessible immunisation information.

Find the full report attached below, or access an online summary here.