Behavioural nudges increase COVID-19 vaccinations

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Behavioral Science
• Health Communication

Background:

• Enhancing vaccine uptake is a significant public health challenge.
• Overcoming vaccine hesitancy and intention-behavior gaps requires effective communication.
• Behavioral interventions can influence health decisions, including vaccination.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of text-based behavioral interventions on COVID-19 vaccine uptake.
• To assess the effectiveness of reminders delivered at different time points post-eligibility notification.
• To investigate the role of perceived ownership and information interventions in vaccine uptake.

Main Methods:

• Two sequential randomized controlled trials involving over 160,000 participants were conducted.
• Text-based reminders were delivered one and eight days after vaccine eligibility notification.
• Online studies examined vaccination intentions and intervention effects on a smaller scale.

Main Results:

• The first reminder (one day post-notification) significantly increased appointment and vaccination rates.
• The second reminder (eight days post-notification) showed a smaller, yet positive, effect.
• Reminders emphasizing vaccine ownership enhanced effectiveness; combined video interventions did not.

Conclusions:

• Text-based reminders are effective behavioral nudges for increasing vaccine uptake.
• Optimizing reminder timing and content, such as fostering ownership, can maximize impact.
• Field-based pilot testing is crucial for validating interventions due to potential discrepancies with online study findings.