The Australian Government’s National Immunisation Program funds a variety of vaccines, including the three-dose Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. 

In Victoria, this is delivered by local councils through secondary schools. However, many students whose parents or guardians have consented to the vaccination are not getting all three doses, partly because some of them miss the school session.

Councils don’t usually send reminders prior to school visits. However, research in similar contexts has shown it may be an effective way of improving vaccination rates.

What did we do?

We investigated the effectiveness of Short-Message-Service (SMS) reminders in increasing vaccination rates by conducting a Randomised Controlled Trial with 4,386 students whose parents/guardians had consented to vaccination. 

Methodology

The parents/guardians were allocated into three groups. Two groups received SMS messages. One message used a motivational technique while the other used self-regulatory framing (i.e. making plans). The third (control) group did not receive an SMS.