Pre-Appointment Vaccine Information Boosts Uptake 16%

A recent study identified two proven, easy-to-implement tactics to increase vaccine uptake: Communicating doctor's or pharmacists' endorsements and delivering trusted vaccine information before an appointment. 

This University of Virginia School of Medicine study published by Open Forum Infectious Diseases concluded that strategies to engage older adult patients in vaccine decision-making increased rsv vaccination rates and patient-reported willingness to get vaccinated.

In the study published on January 29, 2025, six primary care clinics across America piloted a new approach to boosting vaccination rates. This included providing patients with decision-making before their clinic visit that listed vaccination recommendations and encouraged them to share concerns about vaccination.

The approach also featured collaborative learning sessions, during which patients and healthcare providers discussed their concerns and barriers to getting vaccinated.

After using the tool, 79% of patients said they would get vaccinated, compared with 68% beforehand, a 16% increase.

And 63% of patients in the study said that a strong recommendation from their healthcare provider would motivate them to get vaccinated.

The study supported by GSK LLC cited the most common barriers as knowing which vaccines were needed, paying for vaccinations, keeping track of vaccines and when they were due, concerns about side effects, and getting transportation to receive a vaccine.

"The vaccination schedule for older adults, like for pediatric patients, can be confusing – to know what is needed and when," said Laurie Archbald-Pannone, MD, a UVA Health geriatrician and lead author of the study, in a press release.

"Patients in the study reported that a clear recommendation from their healthcare provider was most impactful in vaccinating them."

Previous studies found digital messaging similarly increased covid vaccination rates.

For example, people who sent behaviourally informed vaccination reminders increased the 30-day booster uptake by 21% (1.05 percentage points) and spilled over to increase 30-day influenza vaccinations by 8% (0.34 percentage points).

Another recent example of healthcare provider recommendations' positive impact on increasing vaccination rates to reduce disease risk is the seldom discussed and hard-to-spell mosquito-transmitted viral disease of Chikungunya.

While the Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) disease outbreaks have been known since 1824 and are found today in about 110 countries, most international travelers remain unaware of this potentially life-altering infection.

When the U.S. FDA approved an innovative CHIKV vaccine in late 2023, travelers were unaware that a protective vaccine was needed when visiting outbreak areas such as South America.

Fast forward to February 2025, doctors, nurses, and pharmacists are increasing CHIKV vaccine uptake by informing at-risk travelers at travel clinics and pharmacies from websites and digital newsletters, presented in a main-street language people can easily understand.

Arming travelers with trusted information before a vaccination appointment may be 'just what the doctor ordered.'