The Role of SMS Reminders in Promoting Influenza Vaccination: A Cluster Intervention Study

Objective This study aims to evaluate the impact of SMS interventions on improving influenza vaccination rates and timeliness, particularly exploring the effectiveness of high-frequency SMS interventions in low-resource settings.Methods A cluster-randomized intervention design was adopted, with intervention areas selected from Dejiang County (Tongren) and Liuzhi Special District (Liupanshui) in Guizhou Province, based on factors such as age structure, socioeconomic level, and accessibility to medical resources. The high-frequency intervention group (one SMS per week, totaling four times) and the low-frequency intervention group (one SMS) received health education information regarding influenza vaccination.Results The vaccination rate in the high-frequency intervention group was 0.17%, significantly higher than the 0.02% in the low-frequency intervention group (P < 0.01). High-frequency intervention was particularly effective in the elderly, women, and healthcare workers. Intervention frequency, age, gender, and occupation had significant effects on vaccination behavior.Conclusion High-frequency SMS interventions can significantly improve influenza vaccination rates, and combining other measures could further optimize vaccination strategies and enhance overall vaccination effectiveness.