So Many Choices, How Do I Choose? Considerations for Selecting Digital Health Interventions to Support Immunization Confidence and Demand (Preprint)

Abstract

UNSTRUCTURED Childhood vaccines are a safe, effective and essential component of any comprehensive public health system. Successful and complete child immunization requires sensitivity and responsiveness to community needs and concerns, reducing barriers to access and providing respectful, quality services. Community demand for immunization depends on layers of complex factors including attitudes, perceptions, and trust as well as previous experiences with immunization for all involved in the vaccine decision-making process with caregivers and health workers and the dynamics between the two playing important roles. Digital health interventions such as health promotion mobile messages, alerts, reminders and hotlines can help reduce barriers and enhance opportunities for immunization access, uptake and demand. But there are many interventions, so how does one identify the right one or combination? Early evidence and experiences with digital health interventions for immunization demand are used as a foundation to help stakeholders make decisions and account for planning considerations necessary to guide investment, coordinate efforts, design and implement successful digital health interventions to support vaccine confidence and demand.