Accessibility of Ontario pharmacies offering COVID-19 vaccination by rurality, community material deprivation, and ethnic concentration: a repeated cross-sectional geospatial analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Community pharmacies are largely recognized as geographically accessible; yet concerns arise regarding inequitable access to COVID-19 vaccination, especially during early vaccine availability.

Objectives

This study aims to investigate the geographic accessibility of community pharmacies offering COVID-19 vaccination in Ontario's from April to December 2021 considering community-level rurality, material deprivation, and ethnic concentration.

Methods

Data from the Ontario Ministry of Health website COVID-19 vaccination pharmacies between April 27, 2021 and December 20, 2021, were analyzed. Pharmacy addresses were geocoded using Environics Analytics Business Data and the Postal Code Conversion File (PCCF+). Material deprivation and ethnic concentration at the

SUBMITTER: Alsabbagh MW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12613703 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature