Pharmacists and COVID-19 vaccination – Considering mobile phone caller tunes as a novel approach to promote vaccine uptake in low- and middle-income countries

Appiah, Bernard, Asamoah-Akuoko, Lucy, France, Christopher, Rene, Antonio, Amanquah, Nathan and Bates, Imelda ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0862-8199 (2022) 'Pharmacists and COVID-19 vaccination – Considering mobile phone caller tunes as a novel approach to promote vaccine uptake in low- and middle-income countries'. Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy, Vol 18, Issue 58, pp. 2898-2903.

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Abstract

As several low- and middle-income countries roll out their COVID-19 vaccination programmes, COVID-19 vaccines hesitancy could threaten the success of such programmes. But pharmacists can play a leading role in addressing COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy by using a critical mobile phone-based technology. This technology, known as caller tunes or ringback tones, is flourishing in low- and middle-income countries such as those in Africa and Asia where it is used to promote popular songs and religious messages. With this technology, callers to mobile phones hear a message or a song instead of the typical ringing sound. There is a need for pharmacists associations to collaborate with the creative arts industry and telecommunication companies to have caller tunes on COVID-19 vaccines. As pharmacists and others download COVID-19 vaccine caller tunes onto their mobile phones, their callers will hear COVID-19 vaccines messages or songs. This could help combat disinformation and hesitancy, and promote widespread vaccination as availability increases.

Item Type:	Article
Subjects:	WA Public Health > Preventive Medicine > WA 110 Prevention and control of communicable diseases. Transmission of infectious diseases WA Public Health > Preventive Medicine > WA 115 Immunization WA Public Health > Health Problems of Special Population Groups > WA 395 Health in developing countries WC Communicable Diseases > Virus Diseases > Viral Respiratory Tract Infections. Respirovirus Infections > WC 506 COVID-19
Faculty: Department:	Clinical Sciences & International Health > International Public Health Department
Digital Object Identifer (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sapharm.2021.07.022
Depositing User:	Stacy Murtagh
Date Deposited:	02 Sep 2021 15:33
Last Modified:	03 Aug 2022 01:02
URI:	https://archive.lstmed.ac.uk/id/eprint/18807

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