COVID-19 Vaccine Messaging, Part 1

COVID-19 Clinical Trial

Official title:

Persuasive Messages for COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake: a Randomized Controlled Trial, Part 1

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT04460703
• Other study ID #: 2000027983
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: July 3, 2020
• Est. completion date: July 8, 2020

Study information

• Verified date: April 2022
• Source: Yale University
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

This study tests different messages about vaccinating against COVID-19 once the vaccine becomes available. Participants are randomized to 1 of 12 arms, with one control arm and one baseline arm. We will compare the reported willingness to get a COVID-19 vaccine at 3 and 6 months of it becoming available between the 10 intervention arms to the 2 control arms.

Study participants are recruited online by Lucid, which matches census based sampling in online recruitment.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 4000
• Est. completion date: July 8, 2020
• Est. primary completion date: July 8, 2020
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: All
• Age group: 18 Years and older

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• At least 18 years of age

• US resident

Exclusion Criteria:

• Younger than 18 years of age

• Non-US resident

• Do not consent

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• COVID-19
• Vaccination

Intervention

Other:
• Control message
2/15 of the sample will be assigned to the pure control group, which is a passage on the costs and benefits of bird feeding.
• Baseline message
3/15 of the sample will be assigned to a control group with a message about the effectiveness and safety of vaccines.
• Personal freedom message
1/15 of the sample will be assigned to this intervention, which is a message about how COVID-19 is limiting people's personal freedom and by working together to get enough people vaccinated society can preserve its personal freedom.
• Economic freedom message
1/15 of the sample will be assigned to this intervention, which is a message about how COVID-19 is limiting peoples's economic freedom and by working together to get enough people vaccinated society can preserve its economic freedom.
• Self-interest message
1/15 of the sample will be assigned to this intervention, which is a message that COVID-19 presents a real danger to one's health, even if one is young and healthy. Getting vaccinated against COVID-19 is the best way to prevent oneself from getting sick.
• Community interest message
1/15 of the sample will be assigned to this intervention, which is a message about the dangers of COVID-19 to the health of loved ones. The more people who get vaccinated against COVID-19, the lower the risk that one's loved ones will get sick. Society must work together and all get vaccinated.
• Economic benefit message
1/15 of the sample will be assigned to this group, which is a message about how COVID-19 is wreaking havoc on the economy and the only way to strengthen the economy is to work together to get enough people vaccinated.
• Guilt message
1/15 of the sample will be assigned to this message. The message is about the danger that COVID-19 presents to the health of one's family and community. The best way to protect them is by getting vaccinated and society must work together to get enough people vaccinated. Then it asks the participant to imagine the guilt they will feel if they don't get vaccinated and spread the disease.
• Embarrassment message
1/15 of the sample will be assigned to this message. The message is about the danger that COVID-19 presents to the health of one's family and community. The best way to protect them is by getting vaccinated and by working together to make sure that enough people get vaccinated. Then it asks the participant to imagine the embarrassment they will feel if they don't get vaccinated and spread the disease.
• Anger message
1/15 of the sample will be assigned to this message. The message is about the danger that COVID-19 presents to the health of one's family and community. The best way to protect them is by getting vaccinated and by working together to make sure that enough people get vaccinated. Then it asks the participant to imagine the anger they will feel if they don't get vaccinated and spread the disease.
• Trust in science message
1/15 of the sample will be assigned to this message about how getting vaccinated against COVID-19 is the most effective way of protecting one's community. Vaccination is backed by science. If one doesn't get vaccinated that means that one doesn't understand how infections are spread or who ignores science.
• Not bravery message
1/15 of the sample will be assigned to this message which describes how firefighters, doctors, and front line medical workers are brave. Those who choose not to get vaccinated against COVID-19 are not brave.

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
United States	Yale University	New Haven	Connecticut

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
Yale University

Country where clinical trial is conducted

United States, 

References & Publications (1)

James EK, Bokemper SE, Gerber AS, Omer SB, Huber GA. Persuasive messaging to increase COVID-19 vaccine uptake intentions. Vaccine. 2021 Dec 3;39(49):7158-7165. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2021.10.039. Epub 2021 Oct 22. — View Citation

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Intention to get COVID-19 vaccine	This is a self reported measure, immediately after the intervention message, of the likelihood of getting a COVID-19 vaccination within 3 months and then 6 months of it becoming available. During analysis, responses among those assigned to different intervention messages will be compared to those in the control group.	Immediately after intervention, in the same survey in which the intervention message is provided
Secondary	Vaccine confidence scale	This is a validated scale. This scale will be used to assess the impact of the messages on vaccine confidence. (Outcome assessed only for the half of the sample that answers these items post-treatment)	Immediately after intervention, in the same survey in which the intervention message is provided
Secondary	Persuade others item	This is a measure of a willingness to persuade others to take the COVID-19 vaccine.	Immediately after intervention, in the same survey in which the intervention message is provided
Secondary	Fear of those who have not been vaccinated	This is a measure of a comfort with an unvaccinated individual visiting an elderly friend after a vaccine becomes available	Immediately after intervention, in the same survey in which the intervention message is provided
Secondary	Social judgment of those who do not vaccinate	This is a scale composed of 4 items measuring the trustworthiness, selfishness, likeableness, and competence of those who choose not to get vaccinated after a vaccine becomes available	Immediately after intervention, in the same survey in which the intervention message is provided