ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews interventions aimed at increasing vaccine uptake. The authors discuss the criteria for evaluating an intervention and the importance of considering the social and cultural context in which the intervention takes place. They then consider three types of interventions. The first category involves intervention on perceptions and cognitions related to vaccination (risk, trust, false beliefs …). The second category involves acting on motivations, through e.g., motivational interviewing or incentives. The authors also discuss the costs and benefits of vaccine mandates. The third category of interventions involves acting on social processes e.g., social norms or doctor’s recommendations. Finally, the fourth category, relates to interventions focused directly on behaviour e.g., through “nudges” (reminders, making vaccination the “default”, etc.). The chapter concludes with a summary evaluation of these strategies. Overall, the most reliable evidence seems to come from behaviour-based interventions but this does not mean that the other approaches are ineffective. Often lack of well controlled studies does not allow to form a definite verdict.
