ArticlePloS one2021
Bringing the social into vaccination research: Community-led ethnography and trust-building in immunization programs in Sierra Leone.
Article in PloS one, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 22 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
22 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 47 citations in OpenAlex.
- A systematic review on the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on childhood immunisation programmes of West African countries.Ghana medical journal · 2024Pooled it
- Mapping power in community engagement: methodological reflections from health emergencies.BMC medical research methodology · 2026Article
- Utilizing the COM-B model to identify childhood routine vaccination barriers and uptake among parents and caregivers living in the frontline and Zakarpattia regions of Ukraine amidst Russia's full-scale invasion.Conflict and health · 2026Article
- Leveraging community insights and navigating logistical challenges: a case study of the 2024 polio vaccination campaign in Gaza, State of Palestine.BMJ global health · 2026Article
- Patient- and Public-Led Research - How Is It Defined and Practiced: A Scoping Review.Journal of patient experience · 2026Article
- The role of institutional trust in the formalization of women's savings and loans groups: Experiences from the Nigeria for Women Project.Gates open research · 2026Article
- Rethinking Public Health Approaches to Crisis Response: Putting People First.Risk management and healthcare policy · 2026Article
- "This is what a war does"- Trust, information ecosystems and childhood vaccination among Ukrainian parents: A qualitative study.PLOS global public health · 2026Article
- Last mile at the center of immunization delivery.Frontiers in epidemiology · 2026Article
- Crossing borders, facing barriers: a rights-based narrative review of HIV care access among African migrants living with HIV.Frontiers in public health · 2026Review
- Qualitative exploration of COVID-19 vaccine uptake among healthcare workers in Sierra Leone: do the 'trusted messengers' trust the vaccine?BMJ public health · 2026Article
- Building trust and equity in vaccine communication through community engagement.Human vaccines & immunotherapeutics · 2025Review
- Trust, Information and Vaccine Aonfidence in Crisis Settings: A Scoping Review.Public health challenges · 2025Review
- Trends and inequalities in full immunisation coverage among one-year-olds in Sierra Leone, 2008-2019.BMC pediatrics · 2025Article
- COVID-19 vaccine uptake in Zimbabwe and Sierra Leone: an application of Health Belief Model constructs.BMC public health · 2025Article
- Trends and inequalities in full immunization coverage among two-year-olds in Sierra Leone, 2008-2019.PloS one · 2025Article
- Engaging communities as partners in health crisis response: a realist-informed scoping review for research and policy.Health research policy and systems · 2024Article
- Using social media to build confidence in vaccines: lessons from community engagement and social science research in Africa.BMJ (Clinical research ed.) · 2024Article
- Unsalaried health workers in Sierra Leone: a scoping review of the literature to establish their impact on healthcare delivery.International journal for equity in health · 2023Article
- COVID-19 vaccine decision-making in remote Alaska between November 2020 and November 2021.International journal of circumpolar health · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
19 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundVaccine hesitancy is a complex, contested social phenomenon and existing research highlights the multifaceted role of trust in strengthening vaccine confidence. However, understanding public engagement with vaccination through the lens of (mis)trust requires more contextual evidence on trust's qualitative determinants. This includes expanding the geographic focus beyond current studies' focus on High Income Countries. Furthermore, obstacles remain in effectively integrating social science findings in the design of vaccine deployment strategies, and in ensuring that those who implement interventions and are affected by them are directly involved in producing knowledge about vaccination challenges.
methodsWe piloted a community-led ethnographic approach, training Community Health Workers (CHWs) in Kambia District, Sierra Leone, in qualitative social science methods. Methods included participant observation, participatory power mapping and rumour tracking, focus group discussions and key stakeholder interviews. CHWs, with the support of public health officials and professional social scientists, conducted research on vaccination challenges, analysed data, tested new community engagement strategies based on their findings and elicited local perspectives on these approaches.
resultsOur findings on vaccine confidence in five border communities highlighted three key themes: the impact of prior experiences with the health system on (mis)trust; relevance of livelihood strategies and power dynamics for vaccine uptake and access; and the contextual nature of knowledge around vaccines. Across these themes, we show how expressions of trust centered on social proximity, reliability and respect and the role of structural issues affecting both vaccine access and confidence. The pilot also highlighted the value and practical challenges to meaningfully co-designed research.
conclusionThere is scope for broader application of a community-led ethnographic approach will help redesign programming that is responsive to local knowledge and experience. Involving communities and low-cadre service providers in generating knowledge and solutions can strengthen relationships and sustain dialogue to bolster vaccine confidence.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.