{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,4]],"date-time":"2025-11-04T06:13:53Z","timestamp":1762236833956,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":26,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,4]],"date-time":"2025-11-04T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1762214400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Public Health"],"abstract":"<jats:p>This study examines access and uptake of COVID-19 vaccines among refugees and migrants in Ecuador, including those with regular and irregular migration status. Conducted in Quito, Manta, and Huaquillas with 344 participants, the article reports on the survey data to assess vaccination access, barriers, and enablers. Findings show that 94% of respondents received at least one vaccine dose, despite 69% having irregular status. However, gaps remained in second and booster dose uptake, which was linked to misinformation and administrative barriers such as lack of documentation, discrimination and stigma, especially from healthcare and security personnel at vaccine sites. Key facilitators included receiving support from non-governmental organizations, mobile health brigades, and pressure from international organizations. The study concludes that although Ecuador made vaccines accessible to migrants, systemic challenges, such as data gaps, xenophobia, and insufficient outreach, hindered equitable coverage and limited the rights of migrants and refugees. Improved communication, flexibility in relation to documentation are recommended to ensure equitable access vaccines.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2025.1655392","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,4]],"date-time":"2025-11-04T06:10:23Z","timestamp":1762236623000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Deployment and uptake of COVID-19 vaccines for refugees and migrants in Ecuador"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Cheryl","family":"Martens","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Taymi","family":"Milan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Mar\u00eda Bel\u00e9n","family":"Mena Ayala","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Enrique","family":"Teran","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Pierina","family":"Benavente","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"N. T.","family":"Tran","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Karl","family":"Blanchet","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,4]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"taac102","DOI":"10.1016\/S1473-3099(22)00066-4","article-title":"Defining the determinants of vaccine uptake and undervaccination in migrant populations in Europe to improve routine and COVID-19 vaccine uptake: a systematic review","volume":"29","author":"Crawshaw","year":"2022","journal-title":"J Travel Med"},{"key":"B2","unstructured":"Quito\n          Grupo de Movilidad Humana, GIZ Ecuador\n          Segundo dialogo sobre movilidad humana: acceso al sistema al plan de vacunaci\u00f3n para poblaci\u00f3n en movilidad humana en el Ecuador\n          \n          2022"},{"key":"B3","unstructured":"Santiago\n          CEPAL\n          Los Efectos Del COVID-19: Una Oportunidad para Reafirmar La Centralidad de Los Derechos Humanos de Las Personas Migrantes en El Desarrollo Sostenible\n          \n          2020"},{"key":"B4","unstructured":"Quito\n          MSP\n          Ecuador Recibe 700 mil Dosis M\u00e1s de Sinovac: 100% de Docentes, Personas Con Enfermedades Catastr\u00f3ficas y Grupos Vulnerables Ser\u00e1n Vacunados en Fase 1\n          \n          2021"},{"key":"B5","volume-title":"Monitoreo de Flujo de Poblaci\u00f3n Venezolana en Ecuador","year":"2021"},{"key":"B6","volume-title":"COVID-19 Vaccination in the Americas: progress and Challenges","year":"2023"},{"key":"B7","first-page":"100462","article-title":"COVID-19 vaccine coverage in Latin America: comparative policy analysis","volume":"20","author":"Rocha","year":"2023","journal-title":"Lancet Reg Health Am."},{"key":"B8","unstructured":"Ecuador\n          \n          2022"},{"key":"B9","first-page":"29","article-title":"Migraci\u00f3n en Contexto de Pandemia: Las Respuestas Pol\u00edticas en el Ecuador","volume":"39","author":"Eguiguren","year":"2022","journal-title":"Cuadernos del Cendes"},{"key":"B10","unstructured":"Martens\n              C\n            \n          \n          Care\n          Ecuador\n          The Current State of the Situation of Migrants and Refugees in Temporary Shelters and Hostels in Ecuador March\u2013April 2021\n          \n          2021"},{"key":"B11","volume-title":"Entradas y salidas internacionales (ESI)","author":"Instituto","year":"2022"},{"key":"B12","volume-title":"Ecuador Reporte de Situaci\u00f3n","year":"2022"},{"key":"B13","unstructured":"Quito: World Bank Data Help Desk"},{"key":"B14","volume-title":"Preparedness, Prevention, and Control of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) for Refugees and Migrants in non-Camp Settings: Interim Guidance","year":"2020"},{"key":"B15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1369","DOI":"10.15585\/mmwr.mm6938a4","article-title":"Disparities in COVID-19 incidence, hospitalizations, and testing, by area-level deprivation: Utah, March 3\u2013July 9, 2020","volume":"69","author":"Lewis","year":"2020","journal-title":"MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep."},{"key":"B16","unstructured":"Stockholm\n          ECDC\n          Guidance on Infection Prevention and Control of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) in Migrant and Refugee Reception and Detention Centres in the EU\/EEA and the United Kingdom\n          \n          2020"},{"key":"B17","unstructured":"A review of evidence on equitable delivery, access and utilization of immunization services for migrants and refugees in the WHO European Region\n          \n          \n            \n              De Vito\n              E\n            \n            \n              Parente\n              P\n            \n            \n              de Waure\n              C\n            \n            \n              Poscia\n              A\n            \n            \n              Ricciardi\n              W\n            \n          \n          29300441\n          \n          2017"},{"key":"B18","unstructured":"New York, NY\n          UNDP\n          Global Dashboard for Vaccine Equity\n          \n          2021"},{"key":"B19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1513","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(21)02796-3","article-title":"Estimating excess mortality due to the COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic analysis of COVID-19-related mortality, 2020\u20132021","volume":"399","year":"2022","journal-title":"Lancet."},{"key":"B20","unstructured":"Geneva\n          IOM\n          Migrant Inclusion in COVID-19 Vaccination Campaigns\n          \n          2021"},{"key":"B21","unstructured":"Geneva\n          UNHCR\n          UNHCR COVID-19 Vaccine Access Report 2021.\n          \n          2021"},{"key":"B22","unstructured":"Geneva\n          WHO\n          Data for Action: Achieving High Uptake of COVID-19 Vaccines\n          \n          2021"},{"key":"B23","unstructured":"Geneva\n          WHO\n          Policy Considerations for Implementing a Risk-Based Approach to International Travel in the Context of COVID-19.\n          \n          2021"},{"key":"B24","unstructured":"Stockholm\n          ECDC\n          Public Health Guidance on Screening and Vaccination for Infectious Diseases in Newly Arrived Migrants within the EU\/EEA\n          \n          2018"},{"key":"B25","volume-title":"GTRM Ecuador: Informe de Situaci\u00f3n - Enero 2022","year":"2022"},{"key":"B26","unstructured":"N\u00famero de Inmigrantes con Residencia Legal en Ecuador en 2019, por Nacionalidad\n          \n          2021"}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Public Health"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpubh.2025.1655392\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,4]],"date-time":"2025-11-04T06:10:31Z","timestamp":1762236631000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpubh.2025.1655392\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,4]]},"references-count":26,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fpubh.2025.1655392"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fpubh.2025.1655392","relation":{},"ISSN":["2296-2565"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2296-2565","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,4]]},"article-number":"1655392"}}