Low Immunization Uptake clinical trials

Tunatar da ni. The Immunization Reminder and Information SMS System (IRISS)

In 2016, only 33% of Nigerian children aged 12-23 months had been vaccinated with the 3rd dose of the pentavalent vaccine. Lack of knowledge was the leading reason for non-vaccination. To overcome this knowledge gap, this project, "Tunatar da ni", will deliver targeted text messages to community leaders and individualized text messages to parents and caregivers in Kebbi state, Northwest Nigeria, a state with very low coverage of immunization (19% penta 3 coverage in 2018). These text messages, also known as Short Messaging System (SMS) messages will be managed, scheduled and sent from a purpose-built, cloud-based Immunization Reminder and Information SMS System (IRISS). The messages will be deployed in three ways, as: 1. General broadcast of messages on the importance of immunization to all active mobile phone subscribers in the intervention area. 2. Targeted educational, informational, normative and motivational messages on immunization, and reminders on the local immunization clinic schedules, to community members who voluntarily registered into IRISS for these messages, and to traditional and religious leaders who then share these information with their communities. 3. Individualized reminders of a child's immunization due dates and local clinic schedule to parents who voluntarily registered their child's information on IRISS in order to receive these reminders. Study investigators hypothesize that providing community leaders with positive and actionable messages on immunization services will improve their understanding of the value of vaccines and provide them facts to drive discussions, build positive norms and increase acceptance of vaccination. Providing targeted reminders to parents about their child's vaccination due date and the schedule of their local vaccination clinics will motivate their timely action to seek vaccination services for their children. Intervention will be evaluated using a two-arm cluster randomized controlled trial design. All 21 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Kebbi state will be involved. Based on a 2:1 ratio, 14 LGAs will be randomly assigned to receive the SMS intervention while 7 LGAs will serve as controls. The primary outcome measure will be the proportion of children aged 0-11 months who are appropriately vaccinated for age. The data to compare this outcome between the intervention and control arms, will be obtained from the quarterly lot quality assurance surveys done by the Nigerian government.