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Did You Get Your Shots? Experimental Evidence on the Role of Reminders

Author

Listed:
  • Busso, Matías
  • Cristia, Julian P.
  • Humpage, Sarah D.

Abstract

Many families fail to vaccinate their children despite the supply of these services at no cost. This study tests whether personal reminders can increase demand for vaccination. A field experiment was conducted in rural Guatemala in which timely reminders were provided to families whose children were due for a vaccine. The six-month intervention increased the probability of vaccination completion by 2.2 percentage points among all children in treatment communities. Moreover, for children in treatment communities who were due to receive a vaccine, and whose parents were expected to be reminded about that due date, the probability of vaccination completion increased by 4.9 percentage points. The cost of an additional child with complete vaccination due to the intervention is estimated at about $7.50.

Suggested Citation

  • Busso, Matías & Cristia, Julian P. & Humpage, Sarah D., 2015. "Did You Get Your Shots? Experimental Evidence on the Role of Reminders," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 6944, Inter-American Development Bank.
    • Handle: RePEc:idb:brikps:6944
    DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.18235/0011696
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Malik, Amyn A. & Ahmed, Noureen & Shafiq, Mehr & Elharake, Jad A. & James, Erin & Nyhan, Kate & Paintsil, Elliott & Melchinger, Hannah Camille & Team, Yale Behavioral Interventions & Malik, Fauzia A. , 2023. "Behavioral interventions for vaccination uptake: A systematic review and meta-analysis," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 137(C).
    3. Busso, Matias & Romero, Dario & Salcedo, Dario, 2017. "Improving access to preventive maternal health care using reminders: Experimental evidence from Guatemala," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 161(C), pages 43-46.
    4. Bhattacharya, Haimanti & Dugar, Subhasish, 2022. "Business norm versus norm-nudge as a contract-enforcing mechanism: Evidence from a real marketplace," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 144(C).
    5. Diaz, Lina & Villarreal, Deborah Martinez & Marquez, Karina & Scartascini, Carlos, 2025. "Combating vaccine hesitancy: The case of HPV vaccination," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 381(C).
    6. Hirani, Jonas Cuzulan & Wüst, Miriam, 2024. "Reminder design and childhood vaccination coverage," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 93(C).
    7. Carrera, Mariana & Royer, Heather & Stehr, Mark & Sydnor, Justin & Taubinsky, Dmitry, 2018. "The limits of simple implementation intentions: Evidence from a field experiment on making plans to exercise," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 95-104.
    8. Steven E. Prince & Sarah E. Muskin & Samantha J. Kramer & ShihMing Huang & Timothy Blakey & Ana G. Rappold, 2024. "Smoke on the horizon: leveling up citizen and social science to motivate health protective responses during wildfires," Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-11, December.
    9. González, María P. & Scartascini, Carlos, 2023. "Increasing the Use of Telemedicine: A Field Experiment," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 12850, Inter-American Development Bank.
    10. Querejeta Rabosto, Martina & Olivieri, Cecilia & Tomio, Ailin & Castaneda Nunez, Jorge Luis & Munoz Boudet, Ana Maria, 2023. "Sharing Parental Leave between Mothers and Fathers : Experimental Evidence from a Messaging Intervention in Uruguay," Policy Research Working Paper Series 10340, The World Bank.
    11. Rojas Mendez,Ana Maria & Munoz Boudet,Ana Maria & Moscoe,Ellen Elizabeth & Jamison,Julian C & Herl,Carlos Rumiallo, 2023. "Behavioral Aspects of Healthy Longevity," Policy Research Working Paper Series 10347, The World Bank.
    12. Gallegos, Sebastian & Roseth, Benjamin & Cuesta, Ana & Sánchez, Mario, 2023. "Increasing the take-up of public health services: An at-scale experiment on digital government," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 227(C).
    13. Jorge M. Agüero, 2019. "Information and Behavioral Responses with More than One Agent: The Case of Domestic Violence Awareness Campaigns," Working papers 2019-04, University of Connecticut, Department of Economics.

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    JEL classification:

    • C93 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Field Experiments
    • I14 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Inequality
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration

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