Addressing vaccine hesitancy using local ambassadors: A randomized controlled trial in Indonesia

Asad Islam, Gita Kusnadi, Jahen Rezki, Armand Sim, Giovanni van Empel, Michael Vlassopoulos and Yves Zenou

European Economic Review, 2024, vol. 163, issue C

Abstract: In settings where resistance and rampant misinformation against vaccines exist, the prospect of containing infectious diseases remains a challenge. Can delivery of information regarding the benefits of vaccination through personal home visits by local ambassadors increase vaccine uptake? We conduct a door-to-door randomized information campaign targeted towards COVID-19 unvaccinated individuals in rural Indonesia. We recruited ambassadors from local villages tasked to deliver information about COVID-19 vaccines and promote vaccination through one-on-one meetings, using an interpersonal behavioral change communication approach. To investigate which type of ambassador – health cadres, influential individuals, and laypersons – is the most effective, we randomly vary the type of ambassador that delivers the information at the village level. We find that the overall vaccination take-up is quite moderate and that there are no differences in vaccination outcomes across the treatment groups. These results highlight the challenge of boosting vaccine uptake in late stages of a pandemic.

Keywords: Misinformation; Health behaviors; Vaccine hesitancy; Indonesia; COVID-19 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I1 I12 I18 I20 I3 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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Working Paper: Addressing Vaccine Hesitancy Using Local Ambassadors: A Randomized Controlled Trial in Indonesia (2023)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:eecrev:v:163:y:2024:i:c:s0014292124000126

DOI: 10.1016/j.euroecorev.2024.104683

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