A formative research to explore the programmatic approach of vaccinating the Rohingya refugees and host communities against COVID-19 infection in Bangladesh

BACKGROUND: The vaccination of the Rohingya refugees and host communities against COVID-19 in Cox’s Bazar started in August 2021. Government authorities and Non-Government Organisation partners implemented a project around the initial period of vaccination to improve awareness and access to target beneficiaries. We conducted formative research to understand the programmatic approach of this project and identify potential challenges and community perceptions regarding immunisation against COVID-19. METHODOLOGY: This was formative research in which we used a qualitative method of data collection. Purposively chosen 12 key-informant interviews and conveniently chosen 20 in-depth interviews were conducted using semi-structured interview guidelines from August to September 2022 in the Rohingya camp and host communities of Cox’s Bazar District, Bangladesh. Ethical approval was obtained from the North South University Institutional Review Board, and written informed consent was obtained from all the participants. We used a thematic analysis approach to analyse the data. RESULTS: The project neither provided any promotional or tailored messages regarding the COVID-19 vaccine nor conducted any vaccine hesitancy surveys before implementing the project. The project did not provide any storage facilities for the vaccines’ cold chain management but provided transport support to carry the vaccines from the district to the sub-district level. Community leaders were included in the decision-making process during local-level planning of the vaccination programme. The project supported the reporting of any adverse effects following immunisation from community members to the government health authorities. Vaccine hesitancy among participants was high in the early stages, but mass campaigns and vaccination of frontline health workers increased their acceptance. The major challenges reported by the informants were low budget and lower salaries of field staff, stacking of the registration process at the beginning, reluctance of participants, inadequate transportation and manpower, and inadequate baby feeding corners at vaccination centers. CONCLUSION: The findings from our study will help policymakers from the Government, the UN, and other humanitarian agencies to adapt and better address the issue of vaccine acceptance and strengthen the vaccination programme. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12913-023-09945-z.