Understanding and Overcoming the Racial/Ethnic Inequalities in COVID-19 Vaccination Acceptance

University of Essex

Status: Completed

Conditions: Vaccine Refusal

Treatments: Behavioral: Trust boost

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05238428

ETH2122-0265

Details and patient eligibility

About

With the constant threat of new epidemic waves and the emergence of variants, COVID-19 resilience can only be attained when a sufficient level of immunity is achieved. Yet, in the US and the UK, COVID-19 vaccination campaigns have failed to secure consistent vaccination acceptance in racial/ethnic minority communities. Despite racial/ethnic minorities being more at risk from COVID-19, they are less vaccinated than the White majority. The investigators propose that current vaccination invitation messages are deemed less trustworthy by racial/ethnic minorities than the White majority and that this might partly explain reduced vaccination acceptance. To provide causal evidence of the role of trust and actionable insights, the investigators will experimentally assess the benefits of new invitation messages to receive the COVID-19 booster dose in large, racially/ethnically diverse samples in the US and the UK. Results will evidence how to increase message and source trustworthiness to foster trust and vaccination acceptance across racial/ethnic groups.

Enrollment: 4,039 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

Exclusion Criteria:

• if participants complete the study in less than 5 minutes
• if participants complete the study without paying attention (as indicated by their answers to two attention check questions)

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Crossover Assignment

Masking: Quadruple Blind

---

4,039 participants in 16 patient groups

Control sender + control content

No Intervention group

Description:

Participants will read the following text in an online survey: You are invited to book your COVID-19 booster vaccination. Click here to book an appointment: accurx.thirdparty.nhs.uk/r/aafwaczmd5

Control sender + Low trust boost content

Experimental group

Description:

Participants will read the following text in an online survey: You are invited to book your COVID-19 booster vaccination. The vaccine reduces your chance of becoming infected and protects you against severe forms of the illness. It also protects your loved ones by reducing the risk that you infect others. COVID can be severe, don't risk it. Click here to book an appointment: accurx.thirdparty.nhs.uk/r/aafwaczmd5

Treatment:

Behavioral: Trust boost

Control sender + Medium trust boost content

Experimental group

Description:

Participants will read the following text in an online survey: You are invited to book your COVID-19 booster vaccination. The vaccine reduces your chance of becoming infected and protects you against severe forms of the illness. It also protects your loved ones by reducing the risk that you infect others. COVID can be severe, don't risk it. Vaccines may cause side effects, but the benefits outweigh the risks. The most common side effects are very mild (e.g., sore arm, fever) and severe side effects are very rare (e.g., allergic reaction). Click here to book an appointment: accurx.thirdparty.nhs.uk/r/aafwaczmd5

Treatment:

Behavioral: Trust boost

Control sender+ high trust boost content

Experimental group

Description:

Participants will read the following text in an online survey: You are invited to book your COVID-19 booster vaccination. The vaccine reduces your chance of becoming infected and protects you against severe forms of the illness. It also protects your loved ones by reducing the risk that you infect others. COVID can be severe, don't risk it. This vaccination is especially important for people who are at higher risk from COVID such as older individuals or those from ethnic minorities. Vaccines may cause side effects, but the benefits outweigh the risks. The most common side effects are very mild (e.g., sore arm, a fever) and severe side effects are very rare (e.g., allergic reaction). Click here to book an appointment: accurx.thirdparty.nhs.uk/r/aafwaczmd5

Treatment:

Behavioral: Trust boost

Low trust boost Sender + control content

Experimental group

Description:

Participants will read the following text in an online survey: As your local GP, I would like to invite you to book your COVID-19 booster vaccination. Click here to book an appointment: accurx.thirdparty.nhs.uk/r/aafwaczmd5

Treatment:

Behavioral: Trust boost

Low trust boost Sender + low trust boost content

Experimental group

Description:

Participants will read the following text in an online survey: As your local GP, I would like to invite you to book your COVID-19 booster vaccination. The vaccine reduces your chance of becoming infected and protects you against severe forms of the illness. It also protects your loved ones by reducing the risk that you infect others. COVID can be severe, don't risk it. Click here to book an appointment: accurx.thirdparty.nhs.uk/r/aafwaczmd5

Treatment:

Behavioral: Trust boost

Low trust boost Sender + medium trust boost content

Experimental group

Description:

Participants will read the following text in an online survey: As your local GP, I would like to invite you to book your COVID-19 booster vaccination. The vaccine reduces your chance of becoming infected and protects you against severe forms of the illness. It also protects your loved ones by reducing the risk that you infect others. COVID can be severe, don't risk it. Vaccines may cause side effects, but the benefits outweigh the risks. The most common side effects are very mild (e.g., sore arm, fever) and severe side effects are very rare (e.g., allergic reaction). Click here to book an appointment: accurx.thirdparty.nhs.uk/r/aafwaczmd5

Treatment:

Behavioral: Trust boost

Low trust boost sender + high trust boost content

Experimental group

Description:

Participants will read the following text in an online survey: As your local GP, I would like to invite you to book your COVID-19 booster vaccination. The vaccine reduces your chance of becoming infected and protects you against severe forms of the illness. It also protects your loved ones by reducing the risk that you infect others. COVID can be severe, don't risk it. This vaccination is especially important for people who are at higher risk from COVID such as older individuals or those from ethnic minorities. Vaccines may cause side effects, but the benefits outweigh the risks. The most common side effects are very mild (e.g., sore arm, a fever) and severe side effects are very rare (e.g., allergic reaction). Click here to book an appointment: accurx.thirdparty.nhs.uk/r/aafwaczmd5

Treatment:

Behavioral: Trust boost

Medium trust boost Sender + control content

Experimental group

Description:

Participants will read the following text in an online survey: As your local GP and a health expert who cares for the local community, I would like to invite you to book your COVID-19 booster vaccination. Click here to book an appointment: accurx.thirdparty.nhs.uk/r/aafwaczmd5

Treatment:

Behavioral: Trust boost

Medium trust boost sender + low trust boost content

Experimental group

Description:

Participants will read the following text in an online survey: As your local GP and a health expert who cares for the local community, I would like to invite you to book your COVID-19 booster vaccination. The vaccine reduces your chance of becoming infected and protects you against severe forms of the illness. It also protects your loved ones by reducing the risk that you infect others. COVID can be severe, don't risk it. Click here to book an appointment: accurx.thirdparty.nhs.uk/r/aafwaczmd5

Treatment:

Behavioral: Trust boost

Medium trust boost sender + Medium trust boost content

Experimental group

Description:

Participants will read the following text in an online survey: As your local GP and a health expert who cares for the local community, I would like to invite you to book your COVID-19 booster vaccination. The vaccine reduces your chance of becoming infected and protects you against severe forms of the illness. It also protects your loved ones by reducing the risk that you infect others. COVID can be severe, don't risk it. Vaccines may cause side effects, but the benefits outweigh the risks. The most common side effects are very mild (e.g., sore arm, fever) and severe side effects are very rare (e.g., allergic reaction). Click here to book an appointment: accurx.thirdparty.nhs.uk/r/aafwaczmd5

Treatment:

Behavioral: Trust boost

Medium trust boost Sender+ high trust boost content

Experimental group

Description:

Participants will read the following text in an online survey: As your local GP and a health expert who cares for the local community, I would like to invite you to book your COVID-19 booster vaccination. The vaccine reduces your chance of becoming infected and protects you against severe forms of the illness. It also protects your loved ones by reducing the risk that you infect others. COVID can be severe, don't risk it. This vaccination is especially important for people who are at higher risk from COVID such as older individuals or those from ethnic minorities. Vaccines may cause side effects, but the benefits outweigh the risks. The most common side effects are very mild (e.g., sore arm, a fever) and severe side effects are very rare (e.g., allergic reaction). Click here to book an appointment: accurx.thirdparty.nhs.uk/r/aafwaczmd5

Treatment:

Behavioral: Trust boost

High trust boost sender + control content

Experimental group

Description:

Participants will read the following text in an online survey: As your local GP and a health expert who cares for the local community, I would like to invite you to book your COVID-19 booster vaccination. Click here to book an appointment: accurx.thirdparty.nhs.uk/r/aafwaczmd5 Dr Sanjay Kumar

Treatment:

Behavioral: Trust boost

High trust boost sender + low trust boost content

Experimental group

Description:

Participants will read the following text in an online survey: As your local GP and a health expert who cares for the local community, I would like to invite you to book your COVID-19 booster vaccination. The vaccine reduces your chance of becoming infected and protects you against severe forms of the illness. It also protects your loved ones by reducing the risk that you infect others. COVID can be severe, don't risk it. Click here to book an appointment: accurx.thirdparty.nhs.uk/r/aafwaczmd5 Dr Sanjay Kumar

Treatment:

Behavioral: Trust boost

High trust boost Sender + medium trust boost content

Experimental group

Description:

Participants will read the following text in an online survey: As your local GP and a health expert who cares for the local community, I would like to invite you to book your COVID-19 booster vaccination. The vaccine reduces your chance of becoming infected and protects you against severe forms of the illness. It also protects your loved ones by reducing the risk that you infect others. COVID can be severe, don't risk it. Vaccines may cause side effects, but the benefits outweigh the risks. The most common side effects are very mild (e.g., sore arm, fever) and severe side effects are very rare (e.g., allergic reaction). Click here to book an appointment: accurx.thirdparty.nhs.uk/r/aafwaczmd5 Dr Sanjay Kumar

Treatment:

Behavioral: Trust boost

High trust boost sender + high trust boost content

Experimental group

Description:

Participants will read the following text in an online survey: As your local GP and a health expert who cares for the local community, I would like to invite you to book your COVID-19 booster vaccination. The vaccine reduces your chance of becoming infected and protects you against severe forms of the illness. It also protects your loved ones by reducing the risk that you infect others. COVID can be severe, don't risk it. This vaccination is especially important for people who are at higher risk from COVID such as older individuals or those from ethnic minorities. Vaccines may cause side effects, but the benefits outweigh the risks. The most common side effects are very mild (e.g., sore arm, a fever) and severe side effects are very rare (e.g., allergic reaction). Click here to book an appointment: accurx.thirdparty.nhs.uk/r/aafwaczmd5 Dr Sanjay Kumar

Treatment:

Behavioral: Trust boost