title: Barriers to immunization among children of migrant workers from Myanmar living in Tak province, Thailand.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Immunization is a cost-effective means of improving child survival but implementation of programmes in low- and middle-income countries is variable. Children of migrants are less likely to be immunized.
  
  
  METHODS
  The qualitative study aimed to identify barriers to the successful implementation of migrant immunization programmes in Tak province, Thailand. We ran a total of 53 focus groups involving 371 participants in three sites.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tak province in Thailand borders Myanmar and has an estimated 200,000 migrants from Myanmar. Vaccine-preventable diseases are a documented cause of morbidity in this population but there is no systematic or coordinated immunization programme in the area.
  
  
  RESULTS
  As a result of the findings, the subsequent immunization campaign targeted children in school to overcome those barriers of distance to immunization services, fear of arrest, not remembering immunization appointments, and the disruption of parental work. The campaigns also included immunization education for both parents and teachers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Migrant parents identified similar barriers to accessing childhood immunization programmes as migrant populations elsewhere in the world, although a unique barrier identified by parents from Myanmar was "fear of arrest". The subsequent school-based strategy to overcome these barriers appears to be effective.
authors: Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, 68/30 Bantung Road, Mae Sod, 63110, Bangkok, Thailand. s.canavatidelatorre@kellogg.oxon.org
authors: Sara
authors: S
authors: Canavati
authors: Emma
authors: E
authors: Plugge
authors: Suporn
authors: S
authors: Suwanjatuporn
authors: Suteera
authors: S
authors: Sombatrungjaroen
authors: François
authors: F
authors: Nosten
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002675:Child, Preschool; D017144:Focus Groups; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D017589:Immunization Programs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002052:Myanmar / Q000208:ethnology; D013785:Thailand; D014171:Transients and Migrants