YLab partnered with Victorian Government's Department of Health to tackle low COVID-19 vaccination rates amongst young CALD and disabled communities in Victoria. Our co-designed COVID-19 Vaccination Toolkit, reached over 100,000+ young people with clear information to reduce hesitancy, contributing to Victoria's 96.9% first-dose vaccination rate.

THE CHALLENGE

In 2021, COVID-19 vaccination rates of young people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds (CALD) and disabled young people were disproportionately lower than the rest of the Victorian population.

This was attributed to greater mistrust of government messaging within these communities, widespread misinformation on vaccine safety and a lack of individualised communications to these diverse groups of young people.

At the time of the project, many members of these communities genuinely wanted to get vaccinated but a lack of clear information and a staggered vaccine rollout prevented them from accessing vaccinations in a timely manner.

WHAT WE DID

YLab recruited young people from disabled and CALD communities with lived experience of vaccine hesitation and with them, co-designed the COVID-19 Vaccination Toolkit. This toolkit, essentially an online resource, provided clear and up-to-date information that addressed vaccine hesitancy.

Each co-design workshop was facilitated by members of each marginalised community and unpacked the fears and concerns young people were experiencing. The Toolkit linked to trusted and accessible resources and responded to frequently asked questions with clear information, presented in an accessible format.

We further developed a social media and digital campaign to bolster the Toolkit’s impact and reach. Circulating six interviews conducted with young people with lived experience from our target demographics about their experience getting vaccinated.

Our young creative workforce co-designed a suite of illustrated assets highlighting the barriers these communities faced and strategies for overcoming them.

THE IMPACT

The COVID-19 Vaccination Toolkit empowered marginalised young people by unpacking vaccine uncertainties and bridging communication gaps with the Victorian Government and Department of Health. At the completion of the campaign, Victoria's first dose vaccination rate was sitting at 96.9% for ages 16+.

The Toolkit and supporting campaigns reached over 100,000 young people, with 25,000 regularly visiting the Toolkit demonstrating its impact on the decision-making of CALD and disabled young people.

This project put young people with lived experience in the driving seat and empowered them to break down barriers to vaccine access and information, contributing to a successful public health outcome.