In the Netherlands, participation in the National Immunisation Programme is high enough to prevent outbreaks of infectious disease, either partly or entirely. However, the number of people participating in the National Immunisation Programme is decreasing. This is a cause for concern. If this trend continues, there may be new outbreaks of diseases such as measles. It is important to understand why people choose whether or not to have vaccinations given to themselves or their children. We also need to know how communication about vaccinations can be aligned most effectively with parents’ needs.

Aims of the SocioVax research programme

How do people choose whether or not to participate in the National Immunisation Programme? What factors play a role in that choice? What differences do we observe between groups of people, and how can we explain those differences? The aim of the SocioVax research programme is to answer these questions. Our research also looks at an approach for informing people effectively and assisting them in making that choice, and explores how we can offer vaccination programmes in such a way that participating is as easy as possible.

This webpage presents the results of our research.

Behavioural and social drivers of vaccination

The model on ‘Behavioural and social drivers’ provided by the World Health Organization (WHO) maps out four domains that influence the decision to get vaccinated, and shows how those domains interact.

The model on ‘Behavioural and social drivers’ provided by the World Health Organization (WHO) maps out four domains that influence the decision to get vaccinated:

  1. Thinking and Feeling, such as:
    -  the perceived disease risk
    -  vaccine confidence (e.g. perceived benefits, safety and trust
  2. Social Processes, such as:
    -  social norms (includes support of family and religious leaders)
    -  recommendations from health workers
    -  gender equity 
  3. Motivation, such as:
    -  the intention to get the recommended vaccinations
  4. Practical issues, such as:
    -   availability
    -   affordability
    -   ease of access
    -   service quality
    -   respect from health workers

Source: The Behavioural and Social Drivers (BeSD) Framework. Based on Brewer et al. Psychol Sci Public Interest. (2017)

Supporting professionals, government administrators and policy-makers

The SocioVax research programme focuses primarily on the National Immunisation Programme for children and adolescents aged 0–18 years. A sub-study also offers insights into adult vaccinations, such as the flu vaccine. The outcomes are intended to support healthcare professionals, government administrators and policy-makers.

SocioVax results

  • Literature review: ‘Willingness to be vaccinated and participation in vaccination’.
    See the results of the literature review on the determinants of willingness to be vaccinated and participation in vaccination for the flu vaccine as well as the vaccines in the National Immunisation Programme.
  • Study: ‘Insights on interventions’
    See the results of the study on which interventions can contribute to increasing vaccination coverage.