3 Questions for Cécile Allaire and Jalpa Shah, on behalf of the MOBCO group

How did the information resource come about, and what topics does it cover?

This system of tailored educational resources, designed for frontline workers assisting people in precarious situations, emerged from the knowledge mobilization (MobCo) initiative launched by the agency in the fall of 2020. This approach enables the sharing of established facts derived from interventional research studies and field experiences regarding screening and, subsequently, vaccination against COVID-19 tailored to people in precarious situations.

Analysis of discussions among professionals working with people in precarious situations, researchers, and decision-makers in France and abroad has helped identify future challenges, levers for change, and concrete actions, including this information resource.

The goal is to provide frontline professionals and volunteers—social workers, health mediators, healthcare professionals, and others—with information tailored to their needs and kept up to date. These individuals have built a relationship of trust with their clients and have played a fundamental role since the start of this health crisis. However, supporting people through their Covid-19 care and prevention journey requires taking many factors into account: addressing the stress and fears linked to the pandemic and the vaccine, but also countering misinformation and facilitating access to systems that are ill-suited for people who are homeless, undocumented, and so on.

This information resource brings together reliable resources, links to initiatives that have proven effective, and more. The topics covered correspond to priority issues that evolve in step with the epidemic, announcements from health authorities, and the concerns expressed by the public. For example, the vaccine and fertility, assistance for unaccompanied minors, and access to testing for children at risk of dropping out of school.

How will it evolve?

This information initiative takes into account the evolution of the pandemic, prevention measures, and the COVID-19 crisis, as well as changes in vaccination intent and uptake among people in vulnerable situations. This is why the initiative must constantly evolve and adapt.

The topics covered will evolve to account for inequalities exacerbated by the crisis. Indeed, we must take into account the living conditions of these populations: their mobility, distance from institutional systems, language barriers, low levels of health literacy, and, generally speaking, the strong competition between vaccination and basic needs: access to housing, food, water… All these factors are changing and can influence perceptions of the value of vaccination or the threat posed by COVID-19. This context requires detailed, specific analysis in real time to adapt the information system as needed.

The stakeholders involved in this project may also change: other stakeholders may be brought on board, such as food aid workers.
Finally, it is essential to involve the end recipients in the process of developing our tools. This is thanks to studies conducted in partnership with Epicentre / Doctors Without Borders, Médecins du Monde, or the ARS Ile-de-France and PACA, for example.

Have you developed other tools tailored to professionals (social workers, health mediators, healthcare professionals) or volunteers working on the front lines with vulnerable populations?

Since the start of the pandemic, Santé publique France has made it a priority to address the significant need for information among the various groups working on the ground. Some resources are intended for healthcare professionals, such as the Covid Info Letter, the professional version of the Vaccination-info-service.fr website, and the “guidelines for your practice” fact sheets designed for healthcare professionals. Others have been designed to facilitate workshops with people in vulnerable situations. This is the case with the guide produced by the Cultures & Santé association (Belgium), which has been adapted for use in discussions with people in France who are hesitant to get vaccinated. Finally, other materials have been specifically designed for people who are not in regular contact with healthcare services, such as posters—some of which (How to Use Your Mask Properly and Coronavirus: How to Protect Yourself and Those Around You) are available in 24 languages—videos, and more.