Evaluating the impact of using mobile vaccination units to increase COVID-19 vaccination uptake in Cheshire and Merseyside, UK: a synthetic control analysis
Author
Zhang XTulloch JSP
Knott S
Allison R
Parvulescu P
Buchan IE
Garcia-Finana M
Piroddi R
Green MA
Baird S
Barr B.
Affiliation
University of Liverpool; Liverpool City Council; The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust.Publication date
2023-10-06Subject
Medicine
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
To evaluate the impact of mobile vaccination units on COVID-19 vaccine uptake of the first dose, the percentage of vaccinated people among the total eligible population. We further investigate whether such an effect differed by deprivation, ethnicity and age. Synthetic control analysis. The population registered with general practices (GPs) in nine local authority areas in Cheshire and Merseyside in Northwest England, UK. Mobile vaccination units that visited 37 sites on 54 occasions between 12 April 2021 and 28 June 2021. We defined intervention neighbourhoods as having their population weighted centroid located within 1 km of mobile vaccination sites (338 006 individuals). A weighted combination of neighbourhoods that had not received the intervention (1 495 582 individuals) was used to construct a synthetic control group. The weekly number of first-dose vaccines received among people aged 18 years and over as a proportion of the population. The introduction of a mobile vaccination unit into a neighbourhood increased the number of first vaccinations conducted in the neighbourhood by 25% (95% CI 21% to 28%) within 3 weeks after the first visit to a neighbourhood, compared with the synthetic control group. Interaction analyses showed smaller or no effect among older age groups, Asian and black ethnic groups, and the most socioeconomically deprived populations. Mobile vaccination units are effective interventions for increasing vaccination uptake, at least in the short term. While mobile units can be geographically targeted to reduce inequalities, we found evidence that they may increase inequalities in vaccine uptake within targeted areas, as the intervention was less effective among groups that tended to have lower vaccination uptake. Mobile vaccination units should be used in combination with activities to maximise outreach with black and Asian communities and socioeconomically disadvantaged groups.Citation
Zhang X, Tulloch JSP, Knott S, Allison R, Parvulescu P, Buchan IE, Garcia-Finana M, Piroddi R, Green MA, Baird S, Barr B. Evaluating the impact of using mobile vaccination units to increase COVID-19 vaccination uptake in Cheshire and Merseyside, UK: a synthetic control analysis. BMJ Open. 2023 Oct 6;13(10):e071852. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-071852. PMID: 37802621; PMCID: PMC10565187.PMID
37802621Publisher
BMJ Publishing Groupae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.1136/bmjopen-2023-071852