Life-course vaccinations for migrants and refugees: Drawing lessons from the COVID-19 vaccination campaigns

Abstract

COVID-19 showed once more, and very evidently, that some disadvantaged subgroups, including migrants and refugees (M&Rs), are at higher risk of contracting a disease or suffering from its severe consequences in areas with high transmission [1,2]. This may be due to their living conditions, which make physical distancing difficult, and/or to their legal status, which may exclude them from health care services. Additionally, COVID-19 reminded us that M&Rs tend to also have suboptimal vaccination coverage compared to the general population due to several concurrent factors [3,4]