SRA-E Lisbon 2017

International conflict and poverty are giving rise to migrants from places such as Syria, Eritrea, Afghanistan and Iraq. New immigrants and refugees could be particularly susceptible to vaccine preventable diseases because they may be lacking adequate immunization and may be more vulnerable to disease. This can be a result of their journey, the lack of knowledge or ignorance of their vaccination status. Furthermore they might be afraid to disclose any personal information to what is perceived as ‘authority’. Risk communication plays an important role in developing a two-way communication process for improving awareness of immunization and vaccine preventable diseases, and in supporting people to assess the risks and benefits of both the vaccine and disease. This qualitative study based on semi-structured interviews will examine the health experiences of Syrian parents with young children in the Netherlands. It will offer an insight into the ways Syrian migrants who arrived after the start of the Syrian civil war in 2011, experience and inform themselves about vaccine preventable diseases in the Netherlands. Furthermore it aims to understand the reasons behind immunization decisions made by Syrians for themselves and their families.