Despite significant advancements in healthcare, including vaccine development and widespread availability, vaccination uptake and coverage rates across Europe continue to fall short of established targets. This discrepancy is particularly evident in marginalized communities, such as the traveling community and newly arrived immigrants. Due to various social, economic, and logistical barriers, these groups often exist on the periphery of national healthcare systems.

While these issues are widely recognized and have been the focus of numerous public health initiatives, another critical segment of the population that significantly contributes to low vaccination rates remains unexplored. In communities with mixed socioeconomic backgrounds, effectively underserved individuals pose a unique challenge to public health efforts.

This report summarizes the findings of a survey conducted in October/November 2024, focusing on childhood vaccination equity and healthcare professional experiences. The survey, a collaboration between the Excellence in Pediatrics Institute (EIPI) and Pfizer, aimed to explore the complexities of vaccination hesitancy and low uptake rates, particularly within communities of mixed socioeconomic backgrounds.

The survey's primary goal is to identify the key factors contributing to vaccination disparities and develop targeted public health strategies that improve adherence. These strategies will leverage the different influencing factors unique to each case. Sociocultural factors, educational barriers, and mistrust in authority drive outright vaccination refusal, while logistical failures and economic factors contribute most to issues with adherence.