Evaluation of COVID-19 vaccination appointment letters on uptake across sociodemographics
Achieving high vaccination coverage is crucial, especially during a pandemic and across diverse sociodemographic groups. We aim to assess whether pre-scheduled appointments increase COVID-19 vaccine uptake across sociodemographic groups through a quasi-experimental approach.
Details
- Funder: Riksbankens jubileumsfond, Swedish Research Council
Project description
Ensuring high vaccination coverage is crucial during a pandemic, especially among sociodemographic groups with low uptake and high hesitancy. However, evaluating the effectiveness of vaccination campaigns using observational data can be challenging.
This study evaluated the effect of pre-booked appointment letters on COVID-19 vaccine uptake in Uppsala County, Sweden. Residents born between 1962-1971 received pre-booked vaccination appointments in the form of a letter starting May 24, 2021, while those born 1972-1981 were prompted to self-book via SMS starting June 7, 2021. We evaluated the effectiveness of letters versus SMS using a Regression Discontinuity Design among 96 194 individuals within 90 days post-eligibility.