Qualitative research methods in studying the problems of adult population vaccination: relevance and design

Vaccination is an effective tool to control infectious diseases at the population level. There is an increase in the proportion of the adult population vulnerable to controlled infections, which is confirmed by the emergence of disease outbreaks involving population aged >18 years. Qualitative research methods are used to explore factors influencing vaccination behavior.Aim. To develop and present a qualitative study design to study barriers and drivers for vaccination in adults.Material and methods. The World Health Organization (WHO) approach of Tailoring Immunization Programs (TIP), Capability-Opportunity-Motivation-Behavior (COM-B) tool, developed by the WHO and adapted in several countries to study vaccination issues, and the Rapid Assessment Process method were chosen and adapted for conducting a study in three Russian regions. The qualitative methods selected are focus groups and in-depth personal interviews in two target groups of adults and medical workers. A purposive sampling method will be used to select population participants aged ≥18 years.Results. A qualitative research design was developed, including the following steps: selecting target populations, developing a discussion plan, training the analytical group, testing the methodology and questions in the target groups, collecting and analyzing data, developing recommendations and interventions.Conclusion. Qualitative research methods are preferable for identifying vaccination barriers and drivers. Based on the results obtained, an educational program for health workers will be developed, including communicating approaches to be used with patients when discussing vaccination matters.The qualitative research design developed and presented can be used by researchers, public health professionals, and decision-makers to study vaccination behavior among adults.