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OpenTrials
Completed

NCT Number: NCT04460703

COVID-19 Vaccine Messaging, Part 1

This study tests different messages about vaccinating against COVID-19 once the vaccine becomes available. Participants are randomized to 1 of 12 arms, with one control arm and one baseline arm. We will compare the reported willingness to get a COVID-19 vaccine at 3 and 6 months of it becoming available between the 10 intervention arms to the 2 control arms.

Study participants are recruited online by Lucid, which matches census based sampling in online recruitment.

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Key information

Conditions

Vaccination COVID-19 Coronaviridae Infections Coronavirus Infections Infections Lung Diseases Nidovirales Infections Pneumonia Pneumonia, Viral RNA Virus Infections Respiratory Tract Diseases Respiratory Tract Infections Virus Diseases

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Yale University

New Haven, Connecticut, 06510, United States

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • At least 18 years of age
  • US resident

Exclusion criteria

  • Younger than 18 years of age
  • Non-US resident
  • Do not consent

Treatment and study plan

Control message

Other

2/15 of the sample will be assigned to the pure control group, which is a passage on the costs and benefits of bird feeding.

Baseline message

Other

3/15 of the sample will be assigned to a control group with a message about the effectiveness and safety of vaccines.

Personal freedom message

Other

1/15 of the sample will be assigned to this intervention, which is a message about how COVID-19 is limiting people's personal freedom and by working together to get enough people vaccinated society can preserve its personal freedom.

Economic freedom message

Other

1/15 of the sample will be assigned to this intervention, which is a message about how COVID-19 is limiting peoples's economic freedom and by working together to get enough people vaccinated society can preserve its economic freedom.

Self-interest message

Other

1/15 of the sample will be assigned to this intervention, which is a message that COVID-19 presents a real danger to one's health, even if one is young and healthy. Getting vaccinated against COVID-19 is the best way to prevent oneself from getting sick.

Community interest message

Other

1/15 of the sample will be assigned to this intervention, which is a message about the dangers of COVID-19 to the health of loved ones. The more people who get vaccinated against COVID-19, the lower the risk that one's loved ones will get sick. Society must work together and all get vaccinated.

Economic benefit message

Other

1/15 of the sample will be assigned to this group, which is a message about how COVID-19 is wreaking havoc on the economy and the only way to strengthen the economy is to work together to get enough people vaccinated.

Guilt message

Other

1/15 of the sample will be assigned to this message. The message is about the danger that COVID-19 presents to the health of one's family and community. The best way to protect them is by getting vaccinated and society must work together to get enough people vaccinated. Then it asks the participant to imagine the guilt they will feel if they don't get vaccinated and spread the disease.

Embarrassment message

Other

1/15 of the sample will be assigned to this message. The message is about the danger that COVID-19 presents to the health of one's family and community. The best way to protect them is by getting vaccinated and by working together to make sure that enough people get vaccinated. Then it asks the participant to imagine the embarrassment they will feel if they don't get vaccinated and spread the disease.

Anger message

Other

1/15 of the sample will be assigned to this message. The message is about the danger that COVID-19 presents to the health of one's family and community. The best way to protect them is by getting vaccinated and by working together to make sure that enough people get vaccinated. Then it asks the participant to imagine the anger they will feel if they don't get vaccinated and spread the disease.

Trust in science message

Other

1/15 of the sample will be assigned to this message about how getting vaccinated against COVID-19 is the most effective way of protecting one's community. Vaccination is backed by science. If one doesn't get vaccinated that means that one doesn't understand how infections are spread or who ignores science.

Not bravery message

Other

1/15 of the sample will be assigned to this message which describes how firefighters, doctors, and front line medical workers are brave. Those who choose not to get vaccinated against COVID-19 are not brave.

Primary outcomes

  1. Intention to get COVID-19 vaccine

    Time frame: Immediately after intervention, in the same survey in which the intervention message is provided

    This is a self reported measure, immediately after the intervention message, of the likelihood of getting a COVID-19 vaccination within 3 months and then 6 months of it becoming available. During analysis, responses among those assigned to different intervention messages will be compared to those in the control group.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Vaccine confidence scale

    Time frame: Immediately after intervention, in the same survey in which the intervention message is provided

    This is a validated scale. This scale will be used to assess the impact of the messages on vaccine confidence. (Outcome assessed only for the half of the sample that answers these items post-treatment)

  2. Persuade others item

    Time frame: Immediately after intervention, in the same survey in which the intervention message is provided

    This is a measure of a willingness to persuade others to take the COVID-19 vaccine.

  3. Fear of those who have not been vaccinated

    Time frame: Immediately after intervention, in the same survey in which the intervention message is provided

    This is a measure of a comfort with an unvaccinated individual visiting an elderly friend after a vaccine becomes available

  4. Social judgment of those who do not vaccinate

    Time frame: Immediately after intervention, in the same survey in which the intervention message is provided

    This is a scale composed of 4 items measuring the trustworthiness, selfishness, likeableness, and competence of those who choose not to get vaccinated after a vaccine becomes available

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Yale University

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Persuasive Messages for COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake: a Randomized Controlled Trial, Part 1

Important dates

Study start
2020
Primary completion
2020
Study completion
2020
First posted
Jul 7, 2020
Registry last updated
May 5, 2022

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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