In an effort to boost COVID-19 vaccination rates, mobile vaccination units were rolled out in late 2021. This strategy proved successful: the number of vaccinations administered was between 1.1 and 14.5 times higher in neighbourhoods on the days they were visited by mobile units. The units were more effective in rural areas than in urban settings. In addition, they proved to be more effective than average in neighbourhoods with a higher proportion of SGP voters and still effective, although to a lesser extent, in neighbourhoods that are home to more people with a migration background.

Why this experiment was conducted: lower vaccination rates in some neighbourhoods Vaccination is an intervention that has been demonstrated to effectively mitigate the adverse effects of the COVID-19 virus; it lowers the risk of serious illness and death. Despite the majority of the population receiving at least one COVID vaccination by summer 2021, certain neighbourhoods still had comparatively low vaccination rates. These were mainly neighbourhoods with a higher percentage of people with a lower level of education, with a migration background or people who vote SGP.

Type of intervention: mobile vaccination units
In an effort to reach as many people as possible, GGDs implemented a high coverage vaccination programme in 2021: mobile vaccination units (COVID vaccination buses and pop-up locations) were used in neighbourhoods with low vaccination rates to make vaccination as easy as possible. The GGDs decided themselves when and where to deploy the buses in each neighbourhood. In addition, vaccination was made more accessible through personalised information delivered on site by key figures, posters across the neighbourhood or by handing out leaflets. Mobile vaccination units were deployed in 253 neighbourhoods, and were also available to administer vaccinations to residents of 890 adjoining neighbourhoods. An evaluation was conducted for the period September to December 2021 with the aim of assessing whether the units resulted in increased vaccination rates.

Method used: secondary analyses of registrations
A total of 973 unique neighbourhoods were included in the study, as certain neighbourhoods overlapped. The study period covered 91 days, meaning that the total dataset to be analysed consisted of 88,543 neighbourhood days. A regression model was used to examine whether the number of vaccinations administered increased on days when mobile vaccination units were deployed in neighbourhoods. National vaccination data were used for this purpose (from the COVID vaccination Information and Monitoring System) as well as the registration data from mobile units of 16 GGD regions of sector organisation GGD-GHOR. The model took into account differences between neighbourhoods and differences over time.

Result obtained: vaccination rates increased
The mobile vaccination units were deployed during 7.7% of the 88,543 district days that were analysed. During their use, the average daily number of vaccinations administered in the targeted neighbourhoods increased by a factor of 1.1 in urbanised neighbourhoods and a factor of 14.5 in rural neighbourhoods. The effects were greater in neighbourhoods with a higher proportion of SGP voters and less pronounced in neighbourhoods with more people with a migration background. The absolute increase in vaccination rates throughout the intervention period in all the neighbourhoods concerned ranged from 0.22 percentage points in the most urbanised neighbourhoods to 0.33 percentage points in rural neighbourhoods. This is a consequence of the limited duration of the use of the mobile units, also relative to the overall duration of the vaccination campaign.

Impact: mobile vaccination units successful in reaching target groups
The use of mobile vaccination units proved to be a successful strategy for reaching groups that were initially not as effectively reached during the mass campaign. The units therefore contributed to increased vaccination rates in neighbourhoods that were lagging. The relative impact in many neighbourhoods was considerable. The absolute impact is small, however, since the mobile vaccination units were used at a limited number of locations compared to the mass campaign. The results give reason to assume that vaccination sites closer to where people live are a good alternative for people who are not reached with large, national campaigns. The mobile vaccination units therefore contribute to overall public health in the Netherlands.

Source: https://www.binnl.nl/home+-+en/knowledge/publications/bin+nl+publications/HandlerDownloadFiles.ashx?idnv=2719979