Community engagement key to Vaccine Champions program in Fiji

The Vaccine Champions program, led by the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) in partnership with the Australian Regional Immunisation Alliance (ARIA), is empowering community leaders to advocate for COVID-19 vaccines in Australia, South East Asia and Pacific Island Countries.

The following video highlights the ongoing work and success of the Vaccine Champions program in Fiji, and demonstrates how community engagement is critical to instilling vaccine confidence in future generations. 

In Suva, Fiji, the program began by identifying key community stakeholders and understanding their priorities, as well as perceived barriers to vaccination, and sourcing input to ensure the program was tailored to their unique cultural and social needs. 

From here, the team worked to create awareness at the grassroots level, empowering groups of vaccination advocates from all walks of life with the knowledge and communication skills required to increase vaccine confidence and uptake within the community. 

Participants received training on how to conduct similar sessions for their communities. More than 30 attendees became ‘Vaccine Champions’, including faith leaders and representatives from Fiji’s rugby and cricket teams, youth population and Fiji Red Cross. 

Watch the video below.