Investigating the effect of educational SMS to families on timely routine vaccination of children under one year of age in Iranshahr during the Covid-19 pandemic (a semi-experimental randomized controlled study)

Vaccination is one of the most cost-effective health interventions for the prevention and eradication of childhood infectious diseases worldwide. There are limited data from low- and middle-income countries on the role of text messaging to improve routine immunization coverage. This study was conducted with the aim of investigating the effect of educational SMS to families on timely routine vaccination of children under one year of age in Iranshahr during the Covid-19 pandemic.

A randomized controlled semi-experimental study was conducted among families with first-born children who referred to 5 health centers in Iranshahr, during the second year of the Covid-19 pandemic (year 1400). Information related to 91 intervention cases (receive vaccination reminder SMS) and 203 control cases that were selected by simple random method, information related to the frequency of variables and correlation analysis of variables using SPSS21 software, and t-test, Anova, Fisher and Chi-square test was done.

Complete vaccination coverage at the end of the one-year period was observed in the intervention group at 85.7% and in the control group at 61.6%. variables; Vaccination, mother's education, presence of a motor vehicle, fear of corona disease showed a significant difference in both intervention and control groups (P-value ≤ 0.05). But other variables; The guardianship status of children, parents' occupation and mother's age did not show any significant difference (P-value≥0.05) Finally, after examining the variables in the two subgroups of complete and incomplete vaccination in the intervention and control groups, there was a significant difference in some variables. observed (P-value ≤ 0.05).

SMS reminders led to a significant improvement in the completion of vaccination of children in Iranshahr city, so sending SMS reminders can be effective even in situations like the Corona pandemic where there is a fear of contamination.