WhatsApp groups to promote childhood seasonal influenza vaccination: a randomised control trial (abridged secondary publication)
Q Liao1, R Fielding1, DYT Cheung2, J Lian3, WWT Lam`1
1 School of Public Health, The University of Hong Kong
2 School of Nursing, The University of Hong Kong
3 School of Optometry, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
 
 
1. Communication about seasonal influenza vaccination (SIV) in a WhatsApp group has no significant effect on promoting parents to take children for SIV but significantly promoted their perceived self-efficacy in taking children for SIV.
2. In the WhatsApp groups, participants mainly shared their negative experience or views about SIV including their concerns over vaccine safety or adverse effects, concerns over vaccine effectiveness, and negative opinions of vaccination.
3. The group moderator played a main role in sharing knowledge/information and in shifting the discussion about SIV from negative experience/views to positive experience/views.