UNITING (UNderstanding uptake of Immunisations in TravellIng aNd Gypsy communities)

Although we lack accurate figures, there are an estimated 360,000 Travellers in the UK who live in different communities. We are using the term 'Traveller' in its broadest sense to include Gypsy, Traveller and Roma communities, as well as Occupational Traveller/Scottish Show people who may be settled or nomadic, and may live on authorised or unauthorised sites, or in houses.

What is very clear is that Travellers experience significantly poorer heath and have shorter life expectancy than the general population. Travellers also are less likely to use health services and this includes taking up immunisations.

The UNITING study has two aims:

To explore the reasons for taking up and not taking up immunisations amongst Traveller communities.
To identify ideas for programmes to increase uptake of immunisations.

The main focus is immunisations that are offered within the UK childhood immunisation programme. However to understand issues relating to adult immunisation, we will also explore views on adult flu vaccination and on the whooping cough (pertussis) vaccine that is offered to pregnant women.

The study has three linked phases. Each phase will be carried out in four UK cities:

York (English Roma)
Bristol (English Gypsies, Eastern European Roma)
East London (Irish Travellers)
Glasgow (Eastern European Roma, Occupational Traveller/Scottish Show people)

In PHASE 1 we will recruit both men and women for interviews (24 to 32 Travellers in each community). We will include young women planning families, parents and grandparents to capture a life span/cross-generational perspective as well as teenage girls eligible for their 3-in-1 teenage booster (diphtheria, tetanus, poliomyelitis, given at 13 to 18 years) and HPV vaccine (given at 12-13 years in school); and adults eligible for the flu vaccine (pregnant – also eligible for pertussis vaccine, over 65 years and with specified long term conditions).

In PHASE 2 we will interview health, community and third sector workers with responsibility for local policy making and/or providing services for each of the Traveller communities interviewed in Phase 1 (6-8 in each city).

We will analyse the data collected in Phases 1 and 2 and the findings will used to develop ideas for immunisation programmes.

PHASE 3 is a feedback event for each Traveller community with up to 16 participants who took part in Phases 1 and 2. At this event we will refine and produce a prioritised list of potential immunisation programmes for each community.

We are working with members of the participating Traveller communities in planning and undertaking the research, to ensure a sense of ‘ownership’.

The UNITING Study is a collaboration between a number of organisations. Visit Our Study Team page.

This project was funded by the Health Technology Assessment programme (project number 12/17/05).

This website presents independent research commissioned by the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR). The views and opinions expressed by the authors in this website are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the NHS, the NIHR, MRC, CCF, NETSCC, the Health Technology Assessment programme or the Department of Health.

Link to NIHR website www.nihr.ac.uk