Media Orientation to Improve Childhood Vaccine Uptake and Address Parent and Caregivers Vaccine-related Anxiety: A Pilot Study

Summary

Vaccine hesitancy-defined as delayed acceptance or refusal of vaccines despite availability-remains a significant barrier to childhood immunisation uptake in Nigeria, a country with high zero-dose unvaccinated children. Several factors limit vaccine uptake, including poor awareness, misinformation, fear, anxiety and a perceived sense of conspiracy. Yet, a gap exists to address this urgent problem. The proposed study seeks to pilot the feasibility and acceptability of a novel co-produced media campaign intervention called ASSURed awareness campaign to encourage childhood vaccine uptakE (ASSURE) with parent-caregivers who are not or partially up to date with their child's vaccination. The ASSURE intervention is designed to encourage vaccine uptake and access, reduce vaccine hesitancy whilst addressing vaccine-related anxiety. The ASSURE intervention is low-intensity, lasting approximately 3-5-minute designed to raise awareness of the need for vaccination uptake and its implications for children, including their development and well-being whist addressing vaccine related anxiety and fears. The proposed study is also to pilot and test the instrument to determine effectiveness and cost effectiveness including the mechanism on why the intervention might potentially work.

Conditions

• Anxiety
• Vaccination Hesitancy
• Vaccination Promotion
• Vaccine Decision Making
• Immunisation Anxiety Related Reaction

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

ASSURed awareness campaign to encourage childhood vaccine uptakE (ASSURE) intervention

The media intervention is a low-intensity intervention lasting 3-5 minutes. The intervention is designed to promote awareness on the risk of vaccine hesitancy, its implication on the child wellbeing and health outcomes, the benefits of vaccination and immunisation and avenues or mediums for accessing childhood immunisation. The media intervention will also address anxiety associated with childhood vaccination and avenues for support. The recorded message introduction will commence with a welcome address on the topic, and this is followed by the core message and a closing remark. The core message is composed of three key ambits: 1) emphasising what is meant by vaccine hesitancy, risk of non-childhood immunisation, including the benefit of vaccination (ii) the need to vaccinate and stop societal stigmatising behaviour (iii) Avenues for accessing childhood immunisation and vaccination.

BEHAVIORAL

Intervention as usual

Existing information provided by primary health care centre around childhood vaccination.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Jos University Teaching Hospital

  collaborator OTHER

• University of Manchester

  collaborator OTHER

• Teesside University

  lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2026-04-20

Primary Completion

2027-02-08

Completion

2027-02-08