Key Messages and Advocacy Points on COVID-19 Vaccination Plans – World

I. IMPORTANT NEWS

1 Access to vaccinations is part of the human right to health. Justice and the availability of and access to vaccines, medicines, health technologies and therapies are essential dimensions of the right to health, for which states are directly responsible.

2 Access to vaccination for all is part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 2030 Vaccination Agenda. 3 Ensuring healthy life and promoting well-being at all ages were recognized as essential to sustainable development. As an overarching principle, no one should be left behind, Sustainable Development Goal 3 aims to achieve universal health coverage, including access to high quality basic health services and access to safe, effective, high quality and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all.

3 Vaccinations should be given according to the principle of equal respect, which prescribes equal treatment of the interests of all individuals and groups, including refugees and migrants. Although the supply of vaccines is limited, countries will establish priority plans that should take into account the vulnerabilities, risks and needs of groups at risk of exposure to the COVID pandemic due to underlying societal, geographic or biomedical factors. 19 pandemic. These groups include refugees, internally displaced persons, asylum seekers, populations in conflict or humanitarian emergencies, low-income migrant workers and vulnerable migrants in irregular situations.

4 Nobody is safe until everyone is safe. Since the virus does not discriminate, the reactions cannot leave anyone behind, including refugees and migrants. The benefits of vaccines currently approved by the WHO should reach all population groups regardless of nationality, legal status, place of residence or income level. The inclusion of refugees and migrants is also the key to social cohesion and stability. Reports of xenophobia, racism and discrimination against refugees and migrants have increased during the pandemic.

5 Exclusion from national vaccination programs would not only pose a health risk to society as a whole, but could also lead to further marginalization and exclusion of refugees and migrants from other essential services. 5Firewalls should be put in place to separate immigration enforcement measures from the provision of health and other essential services. Without such an assurance, people seeking vaccination could fear being arrested and punished by immigration authorities.

6 Inclusive communication and information campaigns are an essential part of any vaccination strategy to counter misinformation and hesitation about vaccines. Due to language barriers or a lack of reputable signposts, refugees and migrants often have no access to information that is crucial for their safety and rights.
Vaccination decisions could be influenced by a number of factors, including language and cultural barriers, lack of understanding of the national health system, and personal beliefs. All population groups should have access to accurate, up-to-date and multilingual information about the importance of the vaccine, national vaccination schedules, access routes to services and other relevant information during the vaccination process. Targeted contact with specific groups, taking into account age, gender, disability and other factors is also essential. Such information campaigns should make it clear that firewalls have been put in place between health information systems and immigration authorities and that people who get vaccinated will not be penalized or targeted by immigration authorities.

7 Inclusiveness requires breaking down barriers. Refugees and migrants may not have the appropriate and / or up-to-date documentation, or in some cases, including stateless persons, all of the documentation required to register for vaccination. Some countries have broadened the criteria for documentation and accept all documents proving the identity of the person seeking vaccination.
In other cases an oral explanation will be accepted in the absence of documentation. Online registration systems can also lead to the exclusion of refugees and migrants who may lack digital skills or internet access. Alternatives to face-to-face interactions should be considered to address such challenges whenever possible.

8 Civil society actors, national human rights institutions, and refugee and migrant communities are well placed to support COVID-19 vaccination plans.
You may be able to assist in mapping formal and informal settlements, including those hosting refugees and migrants, to help identify those who are priority for the vaccine. They can also help with vaccine delivery and counter misinformation in places where local people trust them.