Document Type
Poster
Publication Date
4-13-2023
Abstract
Background: COVID-19 vaccines demonstrate excellent effectiveness against infection and symptomatic disease due to SARS-CoV-2. Vaccination in children is vital to lessen public health burden. While effectiveness of COVID vaccination is known, many families are hesitant to vaccinate their children. This can be attributed to multiple factors, one of which is trust in presented information. Vaccine hesitancy is seen more commonly in rural communities than in their urban counterparts. The Idea States Pediatric Clinical Trials Network (ISPCTN) established a mobile health app with information provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) to allow for accurate and reliable vaccine information to be provided to parents. The objective of the MoVeUP trial is to assess the efficacy of this app on completion of a COVID-19 vaccine series in children.
Methods: Individuals attending partnered clinics across all 17 ISPCTN states were contacted for participation. Participants were randomized into two cohorts. One cohort downloaded a Health app providing general public health information, while the second cohort downloaded the mHealth Vaccine Uptake app with COVID-19 vaccine-specific information. Each application is enabled on a caregiver's phone, with app utilization monitored and intermittent surveys delivered to gauge participant perception of COVID-19 vaccines. Both apps are accompanied by weekly push notifications encouraging app utilization for the first 8 weeks of the study. The final 4 weeks will provide app access without push notification reminders. Each participant will be asked for vaccination status with documentation required by week 12.
Conclusion: ISPCTN maintains its primary mission to provide access to state-of-the-art clinical trials to medically underserved and rural populations. Providing accurate information surrounding vaccines is vital for public health education. A cost-effective mHealth tool could prove effective in both improving vaccine uptake and reducing expenses.
Recommended Citation
Winter, Dane G.; Sarah Sanders; Eve Gronert; Sandra Beauman; Nicole Salazar; Elizabeth Kuan; Jessie Maxwell; Hengameh Raissy; and Walter Dehority. "The MoVeUP Trial: Evaluating the Efficacy of a Mobile Health App on COVID 19 Vaccine Uptake in Children." (2023). https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/hsc_2023_pediatric_research/2
Comments
Poster presented at Pediatric Research Forum