Interventions to improve vaccination uptake: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Vaccination is a critical public health intervention that significantly reduces morbidity and mortality from vaccine-preventable diseases. Despite its effectiveness, achieving high vaccination coverage remains a challenge, particularly in low-resource settings. Objective: This systematic review assessed the effectiveness of various interventions designed to improve vaccination uptake. Method: The review was guided by Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Literature search was conducted in four databases (PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, and AJOL) in October 2024 yielding 246 articles. 8 articles met the eligibility criteria and were included in the review. JBI critical appraisal tool was used to assess the quality of the studies. Data were extracted, narratively reviewed and pooled using random effect meta-analysis. Results: Final review revealed 8 articles which were from Nigeria (37.5%), Pakistan (25%), Kenya (12.5%), China (12.5%), and Zimbabwe (12.5%). Interventions evaluated were phone calls or SMS (40%), SMS reminders and monetary incentive (20%), SMS reminder and health education (20%), health education (20%), bracelet reminder (20%). The review identified that mobile phone-based reminders, health education, including bracelet reminder significantly improved vaccination coverage. However the result of the meta-analysis showed no statistically pooled effect (RR = 1.05; 95% CI: 0.93-1.18), with moderate heterogeneity across studies.