Childhood influenza immunisation in general practice invitation trial
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Can uptake of childhood influenza immunisation in GP practices be increased through behavioural-insight informed changes to the invitation process?
IRAS ID
214282
Contact name
Tim R Chadborn
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Public Health England
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 7 months, 3 days
Research summary
Why is the study needed?
Last year, flu vaccine uptake by children aged 2-4 years through general practice was 34.4% (PHE, 2016). This was a decrease on the previous year and lower than seen in slightly older children who were (for the most part) vaccinated through schools (uptake in 5-6 year old was 53.6% in 2015/16). There is also evidence of inequalities in uptake, with lower uptake in more deprived groups. Young children are a group that spread flu to other vulnerable groups of the population.What is the purpose of the study?
We will study whether we can increase the uptake of flu vaccine by making changes to the invitation process. The changes we are making are informed by our understanding of behaviour and aim to encourage parents to take their child for flu immunisation at their GP practice. The intervention is a behavioural-insight informed letter which will be sent to parents using a central system.How we will conduct the study?
We will study uptake in children aged 2 and 3 years who are offered the vaccine through general practices in seven Clinical Commissioning Groups in Essex. We will randomise general practices to the intervention or control group. Parents of eligible children registered with a practice randomised in the intervention arm will be sent the behavioural-insight informed letter from the central system. Parents in the control arm will be invited by their general practice directly with the communication determined by the practice. We will compare uptake between these groups. We will also look at the impact of the interventions on uptake between different populations. For example, we will see whether the impact of the intervention differs by Index of Multiple Deprivation quintiles.REC name
West of Scotland REC 3
REC reference
16/WS/0181
Date of REC Opinion
8 Sep 2016
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion