Screening for infectious diseases and vaccination status in Ukrainian paediatric refugees: a retrospective cohort study

Abstract Paediatric refugees face heightened health risks. At the same time, lack of real-world data hampers the development of evidence-based guidelines for their health care providers. The aim of the study was to assess health-care data and guideline adherence regarding paediatric Ukrainian refugees. Demographic and health-related data were collected from paediatric Ukrainian refugees who arrived in Switzerland between 24 February and 31 October 2022. Data was obtained from five participating centres. Information on infectious disease screening tests and vaccination status was extracted from a REDCap database. Adherence to national guidelines for the care of Ukrainian paediatric refugees was assessed. Of 517 children enrolled, test positivity rates were 2.7% (2/74) for HIV, 1.6% (2/125) for hepatitis B, 0.7% (2/307) for hepatitis C, and 1.0% (3/308) for tuberculosis screening. A high rate of refusal of HIV screening was observed, substantially reducing the intention-to-test rate (0.38–1.25%). Age-appropriate vaccination status was documented in 71–82% of children for measles–mumps–rubella, diphtheria–tetanus–pertussis, poliomyelitis, and Haemophilus influenzae type b. Main reason for incomplete vaccination status was vaccine hesitancy. Following arrival in Switzerland, 98% (509/517) of participants completed catch-up vaccination programmes. Conclusion : Our findings highlight challenges in the uptake of recommended infectious disease screening among paediatric refugees, underscoring the need for targeted and culturally sensitive screening strategies. The observed positivity rates provide important data to refine current screening recommendations. Moreover, the marked improvement in vaccination coverage after counselling highlights the effectiveness of addressing vaccine hesitancy in refugee populations. What is Known: • A substantial proportion of children arriving from Ukraine have incomplete vaccination status, while comprehensive health data on paediatric refugees from Ukraine remain limited. • The implementation of and adherence to health care guidelines for paediatric refugees across Europe is highly variable. What is New: • Tuberculosis test positivity rates in Ukrainian children who arrived in Switzerland during the early phase of the war were substantially lower than expected, while testing refusal for HIV was high. • While prevalence of incomplete vaccination at arrival is high, counselling and catch-up programmes in host countries can be highly effective in rapidly closing vaccination gaps.