A Centralized Text Message Recall for Pediatric Influenza Vaccination, New York City, 2017

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Preventive Medicine
• Health Communication

Background:

• Influenza vaccination coverage remains suboptimal nationwide, necessitating strategies to improve uptake.
• Effective interventions are crucial for enhancing pediatric influenza immunization rates.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the efficacy of centralized Short Message Service (SMS) text message recalls for influenza vaccination in children.
• To evaluate the impact of text message interventions on pediatric influenza vaccination rates in New York City.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving 149,860 children aged 15 months to 18 years from the Citywide Immunization Registry.
• The intervention group received a generic SMS text message recommending annual influenza vaccination.
• Vaccination status was compared between the intervention and control groups within 28 days post-intervention.

Main Results:

• A statistically significant 9.5% relative increase in influenza vaccination uptake was observed in the intervention group compared to the control group (RR: 1.095).
• Specifically, 4.7% of children aged 15 months to 4 years in the SMS group received the flu vaccine versus 4.3% in the control group.
• The SMS text messages achieved a 73% delivery success rate.

Conclusions:

• Centralized text message reminders demonstrated a small but positive effect on influenza vaccination rates in younger children.
• This SMS-based approach represents a potentially valuable tool for improving influenza vaccination coverage in pediatric populations.