The Immunization Partnership Fund (IPF) project titled ‘’Addressing Barriers to Support Vaccine Uptake and Increase Confidence in Immunization within Communities of African Descent in Nova Scotia” is funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC). The Immunization Partnership Fund (IPF) Program was created by Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) to support the National Immunization Strategy’s investments in addressing barriers to vaccination and improving immunization coverage. The project commenced in April 2024 and would end in March 2026.
Background:
The COVID-19 pandemic had a profound impact on routine immunization, affecting individuals of all age groups. It underscored the disparities in access to vaccination and healthcare services within Canada, as well as the challenges people face in obtaining essential information for informed health decisions. This crisis shed light on the difficulties faced by underserved and marginalized populations, who often contend with multiple social determinants of health, such as race, ethnicity, poverty, and homelessness. These factors contribute to lower vaccine coverage rates, which affect certain communities, setting them apart from the rest of the Canadian population. Additionally, vaccine confidence in Canada continues to be affected by widespread vaccine-related misinformation and disinformation.
These challenges remain ongoing public health priorities in Canada and around the world. They demonstrate the continued need for creative and innovative approaches to build vaccine confidence and address barriers to vaccination in ways that are tailored and responsive to community needs.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, IPF funding supported projects designed to improve confidence in, access to, and uptake of COVID-19 vaccines. The scope of this funding has been broadened to support projects that focuses on routine vaccination across the life course (including “catch-up” of routine vaccinations missed during the pandemic), as well as vaccination for COVID-19 and influenza among priority populations.
PHAC is seeks innovative approaches that are tailored and responsive to the needs of populations who have been identified as a priority to help build vaccine literacy, strengthen vaccine confidence, and reduce barriers to vaccination.
The aim of the project is to:
• Increase vaccine awareness through workshops/information session.
• Reduce barriers to vaccination through vaccine pop-up clinics.
• Improve vaccine literacy and confidence by debunking myths and mis/disinformation about vaccine.
• Increase vaccine uptake
The Project’s Priority Population
This UACWA’s Vaccine Project, with IPF funding support aims to increase vaccine confidence and uptake in Nova Scotia, particularly among populations who may face:
- greater barriers to vaccination
- higher rates of vaccine hesitancy
- increased susceptibility to poor health outcomes from vaccine-preventable diseases and:
- Individuals living on low incomes
- Those experiencing housing insecurity or homelessness
- People with substance use disorders
- Individuals with chronic conditions or disabilities
- 2SLGBTQIA+ community
The Key project activities are:
• Engage community leaders, organizations and outreach community volunteers.
• Host vaccine workshops/information and roundtable sessions to provide benefits of immunization.
• Organize pop-up vaccination clinics in accessible locations within the communities to provide free immunization services to individuals of all ages.
• Develop culturally appropriate information and promotional materials and resources in different cultures and languages.
• Collect data on immunization awareness (pre & post) within the community, track progress and identify areas of improvement.
• Engage media and hold interviews to drive awareness.
• Reach a minimum of 800 households.
The project key stakeholders are:
· Healthcare providers
· Community and Religious leaders
· Community Outreach Volunteers
As of September 2025, we have organized four workshops/information sessions and five vaccine pop-up vaccination clinics. Through these workshops and clinics, we have reached over 600 individuals of African Descents across the province.
Vaccine Awareness videos
https://youtu.be/81Uxt7fH5EQ French
https://youtu.be/RMY_HGhVXbI English
https://youtu.be/A5pGpV0P7U8 Arabic
https://youtu.be/AD14DXILfS4 Somali
https://youtu.be/B1dtgYnBNpw Swahili