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

Bernard Appiah, Lucy Asamoah-Akuoko, Christopher France, Antonio Rene, Nathan Amanquah, Imelda Bates

Research output: Contribution to journalComment/Debate/Erratumpeer-review

7 Scopus citations

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.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)2898-2903
Number of pages6
JournalResearch in Social and Administrative Pharmacy
Volume18
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - May 2022

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Pharmacy
  • Pharmaceutical Science

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