Washington Post: These are the text messages that get people to take vaccines

By Katy Milkman, Angela Duckworth, and Mitesh Patel

At least 160 million Americans have received one or both doses of a coronavirus vaccine, but demand is falling off rapidly. Doses administered peaked at an average of 3.3 million per day in mid-April but are now down to about 2 million per day. The Biden administration has enlisted celebrities and community leaders to promote vaccination and is spending millions of dollars on television ads. Some states, notably West Virginia, Maryland and Ohio, are using cash incentives.

Our research demonstrates that a less flashy effort might also have a significant effect in boosting vaccination rates. In a new study involving more than 47,000 people, we identified text messages that were able to “nudge” people who were scheduled for a primary-care doctor’s visit to get a flu shot during that visit. Although the study took place last fall, before coronavirus vaccines were widely available, we designed the messages so they could be repurposed for the new vaccines.

Read more at The Washington Post.

Washington Post: These are the text messages that get people to take vaccines

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