Presenter 4: Door to Door home visit health Promotion for Ethnic Minorities on COVID-19 vaccination in Hong Kong

Abstract Title: Door to Door home visit health Promotion for Ethnic Minorities on COVID-19 vaccination in Hong Kong. 

Introduction: Vaccination is one of the effective methods in providing protection against COVID-19. However, there are reports from other countries regarding vaccine hesitancy among ethnic minority (EM) groups . UCNCHS was commissioned by the Department of Health of Hong Kong to conduct a pilot health promotion project. The aims are to disseminate the basic concept and information on COVID-19 and vaccination among EM groups, in a culturally and linguistically appropriate approach.

Methods

1) Promotion through liaison with organization serving the EM’s, schools, religious centres, self-help groups, shops and restaurants run by EM.
2) Provision of information though door to door home visit (mainly to Indian, Nepalese and Pakistani households) and telephone hotline
3) Structured questionnaire assessment during home visits.       

Results: From 18th March to 17th September 2021, total of 2014 door-to-door home visit was conducted in 2 districts. During the questionnaire amongst the 2014 respondents, it was identified that 50.2% had vaccinated, 7.8% had booked but not taken yet, 32.8% were considering and 8.9% said they would not take the COVID-19 vaccination. The main reasons for hesitancy was worries about side effects (48.6% amongst those considering and 36.9% amongst those who said they would not take vaccination). Following the home visit 371, EM registered for vaccination. In addition, it was also identified that over 90% of respondents aged 16 or above never had seasonal influenza vaccination.   

Conclusion: The EM are generally vulnerable group in the community. The door -to - door home visit was a effective strategy to reach out to this hard-to-reach group. It helped to clarify the myths for vaccine hesitancy. Such strategy could be extended to other districts where many members of EM reside and expand to more EM groups to reach out to the most vulnerable ones. In addition, with identification of such low rate of uptake of influenza vaccination there is a need to streamline health promotion strategies amongst EM regarding vaccination and any other public health issues needing urgent attention, with an ultimate vision to ease the burden on the public healthcare system in Hong Kong.

Acknowledgement: This pilot health promotion project was commissioned and funded by the Department of Health, Government of Hong Kong SAR.