Incentives, Institutional Backing, and COVID-19 Vaccination Uptake in Burkina Faso

Last registered on April 24, 2026
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Incentives, Institutional Backing, and COVID-19 Vaccination Uptake in Burkina Faso
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0017403
Initial registration date
April 15, 2026

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published
April 24, 2026, 8:09 AM EDT

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Locations

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Primary Investigator

Name
Erik Wengström
Affiliation
Lund University
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Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Pol Campos-Mercade
PI Affiliation
Lund University
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PI Name
Mohammad Sepahvand
PI Affiliation
Lund University
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PI Name
Florian Schneider
PI Affiliation
University of Copenhagen
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Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2026-04-15
End date
2027-12-31
Keywords
Behavior, Health
Additional Keywords
Vaccination uptake, Incentives, Institutional trust, Field experiment, Health behavior, COVID-19, Information interventions Development economics, Behavioral economics, Public health policy
JEL code(s)
I12, I18, C93
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
This study investigates how financial incentives and perceived alignment with the source offering them affect COVID-19 vaccination uptake in Burkina Faso. We run a large-scale individual-level randomized controlled trial in which adults receive a vaccination message backed either by the Ministry of Health or by Western researchers, combined with no incentive, a low incentive (2000 CFA), or a high incentive (15000 CFA). The baseline survey measures perceived alignment with each source, perceived expertise, vaccine beliefs and intentions. The primary outcome is verified vaccination uptake within 30 days, measured using administrative records. The design allows us to estimate the causal effect of incentives and to test whether their effectiveness varies with the source presenting them. Secondary analyses examine effects on stated intentions and vaccine skepticism, as well as heterogeneity linked to baseline perceived alignment and vaccine attitudes.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Campos-Mercade, Pol et al. 2026. "Incentives, Institutional Backing, and COVID-19 Vaccination Uptake in Burkina Faso." AEA RCT Registry. April 24. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.17403-1.0
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Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
We conduct a randomized controlled trial in Burkina Faso to evaluate the effectiveness of financial incentives and information messaging on COVID-19 vaccination uptake. Individuals who have not received a COVID-19 vaccine in the past six months are randomly assigned to receive one of several information messages encouraging vaccination. Information messages vary in (i) whether they include no incentive, a low incentive, or a high incentive for getting vaccinated within 30 days, and (ii) whether the message is presented as coming from the Ministry of Health or from Western researchers. Participants are then followed using administrative vaccination records to measure vaccine uptake within one month.
Intervention Start Date
2026-04-16
Intervention End Date
2026-05-16

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
The primary outcome of interest is COVID-19 vaccination uptake, measured using administrative vaccination records. For each participant, we observe whether they received a dose of a COVID-19 vaccine within 30 days after receiving the intervention. The primary outcome is therefore a binary indicator equal to 1 if the participant is recorded as having obtained a vaccine dose within the 30-day window, and 0 otherwise. This measure is not self-reported and is obtained from national administrative data.
Primary Outcomes (explanation)
The primary outcome—COVID-19 vaccination uptake within 30 days—is constructed using national administrative vaccination records. For each participant, we obtain the date of the recorded COVID-19 vaccination dose. We create a binary indicator that equals 1 if the participant receives a dose within 30 days after receiving the intervention, and 0 otherwise. Participants without an administrative record of vaccination during this window are coded as 0. No self-reported data are used for this measure.

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
We have two secondary outcomes:

1. Vaccination intention (binary): After receiving the intervention, participants are asked whether they plan to take a dose of a COVID-19 vaccine within 30 days of participating in this survey (Yes/No)?

2. Vaccine skepticism (index): An index capturing beliefs about vaccine safety and efficacy. This measure reflects overall skepticism toward COVID-19 vaccination.
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)
1. Vaccination intention (binary).
This outcome is measured in the post-treatment survey. Participants respond to the question: "Do you plan to take a dose of a COVID-19 vaccine within 30 days of participating in this survey?” The response is coded as 1 = Yes and 0 = No. This provides a short-run behavioral intention measure corresponding to the same 30-day window used for the primary outcome.

2. Vaccine skepticism (index).
This constructed index is based on two post-treatment survey items, each measured on a 1–10 agreement scale:
“COVID-19 vaccines are generally safe.”
"COVID-19 vaccines are effective in protecting against serious illness."

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
We conduct a randomized controlled trial in Burkina Faso to evaluate the effectiveness of financial incentives and information messaging on COVID-19 vaccination uptake. Individuals who have not received a COVID-19 vaccine in the past six months are randomly assigned to receive one of several information messages encouraging vaccination. Information messages vary in (i) whether they include no incentive, a low incentive, or a high incentive for getting vaccinated within 30 days, and (ii) whether the message is presented as coming from the Ministry of Health or from Western researchers. Participants are then followed using administrative vaccination records to measure vaccine uptake within one month.
Experimental Design Details
Not available
Randomization Method
Randomization done in office by a computer: computer-generated simple random assignment into six arms with equal probability.
Randomization Unit
Unit of randomization: individual.
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
Randomization is conducted at the individual level. The study is not cluster randomized.
We sample approximately 22 500 individuals across 9 regions (regional capitals). These regions serve as sampling strata rather than cluster-randomized units.
Sample size: planned number of observations
22 500 individuals
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
Six treatment arms and we will implement equal allocation by arm, so: 3 750 individuals per treatment arm.
Intended total sample = 22 500 (6 arms × 3 750).
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
For any two treatment arms with 3 750 participants each, and assuming a baseline vaccination rate of 5 percent in one arm, we have about 80 percent power to detect a difference in vaccination uptake of 1.5 percentage points between those arms.
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
Institut National de la Statistique et de la Démographie (INSD), Burkina Faso
IRB Approval Date
2026-04-02
IRB Approval Number
AP2025054CNSCS2
Analysis Plan

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