Explaining the Impact of a Communication Campaign to Change Vaccination Knowledge and Coverage in the Philipines

Abstract

Results from the evaluation of a 1990 national vaccination program in cities in the Philippines are used to address three questions of concern to health communication researchers and practitioners: (1) whether interpersonal communication from change agents was a necessary condition for behavior change or whether a mass media campaign alone could influence vaccination behavior; (2) what kind of messages, specific (e.g., about the ages for vaccination) or general (e.g., about the danger of measles), most influenced behavior change; and (3) how existing gaps in vaccination status among socioeconomic groups were affected by the campaign. Surveys of 1,200 representative mothers were conducted before and after the campaign. The results showed that there was a substantial overall effect of the campaign, with timely vaccination coverage increasing from 35% to 51%. Increasing specific knowledge, rather than general knowledge, about measles vaccination was central to the campaign's success, accounting for three-fifths of the increase in vaccinations.

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