Immunization Metrics and Modelling Studies (IMMS)

Immunization Metrics and Modelling Studies (IMMS) is a four-year global initiative funded by the Gates Foundation. Building on more than a decade of research by the Vaccine Confidence Project (VCP) and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), IMMS aims to identify demand- and delivery-side barriers to vaccination at national and sub-national levels, investigate uptake of new and existing vaccines, and quantify the pandemic’s impact on vaccination demand, among other objectives. These aims will be mainly achieved through two global waves of data collection. IMMS is a dedicated unit led by Dr Alex de Figueiredo (Principal Investigator and IMMS Lead) with Prof. Heidi Larson (Co-Principal Investigator and VCP Director) within the Vaccine Confidence Project. Established as a long-term capability within VCP, IMMS is designed to grow beyond the initial funding period and to provide sustained measurement, modelling, and decision support for immunisation programmes in the years ahead. The first wave of global data collection in this project (IMMS Wave 1) is a multi-country, nationally representative survey of parents and primary caregivers of children aged under 18 years. Its purpose is to generate comparable evidence on the state of caregiver vaccine confidence, the behavioural and social drivers of vaccination, practical barriers to accessing immunisation services across diverse settings, measuring the impact of the pandemic on perceptions towards childhood vaccinations, and measure intent-to-accept novel immunisations. The study aims to identify where and among whom vaccination-related attitudes and barriers are most problematic, and to provide actionable insights that can inform immunisation programme priorities at national and sub-national levels. More detailed project description, including study aims and research questions, are detailed in our Analysis Plan.