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OpenTrials
Active, Not Recruiting

NCT Number: NCT06161831

HPV Vaccine Reminders - SEARCH II Study

This RCT will take place at health centres and their affiliated schools and community immunization centers overseen by the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) as well as at the Makerere/Mulago/Columbia Adolescent Health Clinic in Kampala. The investigators will assess the impact of vaccine text message and automated phone reminders on human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination initiation and completion.

Active, Not Recruiting

This study is active but is not currently recruiting participants.

Key information

Conditions

Human Papillomavirus Vaccination

Age range

10 year–14 year

Sex eligibility

Female

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Makerere University/Mulago Hospital, Kampala, Uganda

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About this study

Cervical cancer is the leading female cancer in Uganda. HPV is the principal cause of cervical cancer. The national HPV vaccination program in Uganda includes preteen/ adolescent girls. Vaccinations are provided within schools or through community health centers. However, in Kampala, HPV vaccination especially series completion is low. While research regarding the use of text message vaccine reminders is strong in the U.S., their use has not been demonstrated in a preteen/adolescent population in Sub-Saharan Africa and other low and middle income countries (LMICs) in a full RCT. In this study, RCT caregivers of preteens/adolescents will be randomized and stratified by site, language and HPV vaccine dose needed (initiation vs. completion). Intervention families will receive text message or automated phone reminders based on family preference.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

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

Inclusion criteria

  • Be a parenting adult of an adolescent girl aged 10-14 years
  • Reside in Kampala and/or the surrounding districts
  • Speak English or Luganda
  • Have a cell phone with text messaging capability
  • Must have ability to consent

Exclusion criteria

  • Parenting adult speaks other language than English or Luganda only
  • Parenting adult already enrolled in the study for another child
  • Participation in previous HPV vaccine reminder study

Treatment and study plan

Text Message/automated phone reminder

Behavioral

Receipt of text message or automated phone reminders notifying when the next HPV vaccine dose is due (either first or second)

Primary outcomes

  1. Time to Receipt of First HPV Vaccine Dose

    Time frame: 12 months

    Timeliness of vaccination (time to event) will be measured

  2. Time to Receipt of Second HPV Vaccine Dose

    Time frame: 12 months

    Timeliness of vaccination (time to event) will be measured

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Columbia University

Other

Collaborators

  • Makerere University
  • National Cancer Institute (NCI)

Registry information

Official study title

SEARCH II: Short Message Service (SMS) Electronic Adolescent Reminders for Completion of HPV Vaccination - Uganda: Randomized Controlled Trial

Important dates

Study start
2024
Primary completion
2026
Study completion
2026
First posted
Dec 8, 2023
Registry last updated
Sep 8, 2025

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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