A thematic analysis of flu vaccine hesitance in ethnically minoritised communities in Liverpool

Montgomery, Catharine ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2805-5807, Powell, Anna ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4879-4124 and Adshead, Claire ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0889-0020 (2026) A thematic analysis of flu vaccine hesitance in ethnically minoritised communities in Liverpool. [Data Collection]

Abstract

Background
Seasonal influenza causes around 15,000 deaths yearly in the United Kingdom. Low vaccine uptake is more prominent in ethnically minoritised communities and deprived areas, leading to poorer outcomes.
Aims
To understand influenza vaccine hesitance in ethnically minoritised communities in Liverpool from multistakeholder perspectives.
Methods
Semi-structured interviews and focus groups were conducted with members of the public (n = 55), community engagement workers (n = 14), primary healthcare staff (n = 20), and policy professionals (n = 10). Data were analysed thematically.
Results
Six themes were identified. Beliefs about vaccine safety, necessity, and efficacy often arose from misinformation, misunderstanding, or negative experience. Trust in vaccine information depended on source familiarity, credibility, and perceived intentions, while trust in the healthcare system had decreased due to cultural and COVID-19 concerns. Accessibility of accurate vaccine information was poor, due to language and literacy barriers. Community opinions/experience shaped perceptions, while community organisations were trusted but needed resources/stability. Healthcare staff described low morale, time/resource constraints, and uncertainty in addressing cultural concerns. Ultimately, Alliance indicated a desire for better integration between healthcare and communities, particularly for developing/distributing accurate, culturally relevant, and accessible information.
Conclusion
To address influenza vaccine hesitance, stakeholders should collaborate to improve access to reliable information (to support development of pro-vaccine beliefs) via tailored communication and culturally informed training for healthcare staff; aim to increase trust by, for example, ensuring access to familiar staff and employing community members; and foster alliance via long-term support of community organisations through funding, accurate information, and training.

To gain access :
Please contact researchonline@ljmu.ac.uk to gain access to this dataset.
Please provide the following details:
1. What is your full name and institutional affiliation?
2. What is your email address and contact information?
3. What is your role or position (e.g., student, researcher, faculty, industry professional)?
4. What is the purpose of your request to access this dataset?
5. How do you intend to use the data (e.g., for research, teaching, validation, etc.)? 6. Please provide a brief description of your project or research topic.
7. Will the data be used for commercial purposes? (Yes/No)
8. Will the data be shared with anyone else? If yes, please specify.
9. Do you agree to acknowledge the dataset and cite its DOI in any publications using it? (Yes/No)

Additional Information:	Depositing user's licence comment:
Creators:	Montgomery, Catharine ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2805-5807, Powell, Anna ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4879-4124 and Adshead, Claire ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0889-0020
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Institute for Health Research (IHR); Research Centre for Brain and Behaviour (RCBB); Influenza; Vaccine Hesitance; Trust; Health Equity; Community Engagement; 4206 Public health; 420602 Health equity; 420605 Preventative health care
DOI:	https://doi.org/10.24377/LJMU.d.00000272
Division:	Psychology (new Sep 2019)
Field of Research:	Health sciences Health sciences > Public health Health sciences > Public health > Health equity Health sciences > Public health > Preventative health care ?? 420605 Preventative health care ??
Date Deposited:	27 Apr 2026 14:02
Last Modified:	27 Apr 2026 14:02
Related resources:	https://journals.plos.org/plosone/articl...
URI:	https://opendata.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/272
Data collection method:	Qualitative interviews
Grant number:	TPI-SEQ3-CM
Geographic coverage:	Liverpool, North West England
Resource language:	English
Metadata language:	English
Statement on legal, ethical and access issues:	All data has been fully anonymised to remove risk of identifying patients or health care staff.
Collection period:	From To 14 January 2024 31 May 2024