Effects of mobile APP for immunization on vaccination compliance of migrant children in southwest China: A community trial study

Abstract

With the advancement of the "internet plus" action plan in China, the electronic information system and the mobile phone applications (APPs) are widely used in the management of expanding national program of immunization (EPI). To estimate the use of childhood vaccination APP to improve migrants' vaccination knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP), a community trial toward migrant children was carried out in Chongqing, China. Migrant children were divided into two groups, one group was provided with health education and vaccination reminders in manual way and the other group was provided with online health education and vaccination reminders by mobile APP. After seven-month interventions, a total of 196 guardians of migrant children aged 2 months to 2 y participated in the questionnaire survey. There were significant differences between two groups in the awareness of vaccine policy, disposal of adverse reaction and attitude toward vaccination. Few significant differences in vaccination coverage of children ≤12 months between two groups, except 2^ndbOPV and 2^ndMenA. The timely vaccination rate of children >6 months in the APP group ranged from 37.5% to 68.2%, that was from 0% to 30.5% in the non-APP group (P < .05). Most migrant children above 6 months had vaccination within a month after due day in the APP group, while that was at least 3 months after due day in the non-APP group. The vaccination APP greatly improved migrants' KAP on vaccination. Continuous and systematic intervention by vaccination APP would play a more critical role in the vaccination behaviors of older migrant children.

Keywords: Vaccination; children; migrant; mobile phone application.

Figure 1.

Number of information released by doctors and the number of consultations with doctors.

Figure 2.

Immunization coverage of EPI vaccines among migrant children.