Researchers from the Mailman School of Public Health and Columbia University Medical Center conducted a randomized controlled trial during the 2012-2014 flu season in three pediatric clinics. Children in 660 families, ranging from 6 months old to 8 years old, needed a second dose of the flu vaccine. They were assigned to one of three groups: an educational text message, a conventional text message and written reminder-only, which was given at the time of the child’s first flu shot. The educational text message included information on the importance of the second dose, while conventional texts told families when and where to go for the second dose.
They found children in the educational text message group were more likely to receive their second-dose vaccine (72.7 percent) than the conventional text message group (66.7 percent) and the written reminder group (57.1 percent).
Parents seemed pleased with the text reminders, as 60.8 percent reported the text reminder was part of the reason they brought their child in, while 70.1 percent reported the text was why they brought their child in sooner for the second dose.
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