How did war and displacement affect Ukrainian parents’ views on childhood vaccination?

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Armed conflict disrupts health systems and reshapes trust in vaccination and how people interact with information. This study explored how the war in Ukraine has reshaped vaccine attitudes among parents living in Lviv, Ukraine, and parents displaced to Warsaw, Poland.

In a qualitative study, researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with 30 Ukrainian parents and 21 key informants, including healthcare workers, journalists, humanitarian actors and policymakers. Data were collected from November 2024 to March 2025 and analysed thematically to identify patterns in how conflict and displacement influence trust and decisions about childhood vaccination.

War and displacement disrupted continuity of care, and vaccination was often given lower priority as families dealt with documentation, housing and safety. Structural and language barriers further limited access, especially for displaced families. Yet some parents described vaccination as a way to protect their children and regain agency amid uncertainty, showing active engagement with healthcare despite instability.

Information practices also changed: digital platforms, particularly Telegram, became important spaces for seeking, sharing and interpreting information. Trust was shaped by the perceived authenticity and responsiveness of information sources and by emotional connections to them.

The study highlights that access and vaccine confidence reinforce each other. Its authors argue that sustaining trust must go beyond a focus on information, including misinformation and disinformation, and use empathetic, transparent and participatory communication. They identify stronger continuity of care, empowered health workers and community feedback mechanisms embedded in humanitarian health responses as critical to sustaining vaccine confidence in conflict settings.