Dear Colleagues,

Health areas such as HIV/AIDS and reproductive health/family planning have a rich history of social and behavioral science research. The stagnation of childhood immunization levels in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) since 2011 stimulated interest in behavioral insights for vaccination. More recently, the COVID-19 pandemic and interventions implemented to reduce vaccine hesitancy have provided the opportunity to bring together learning generated from the application of behavioral science to immunization. For example, donors such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation have supported population- or facility-based behavioral interventions in Cote d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, and Nigeria. In Ghana and Nepal, behavioral science practitioner capacity-building networks have been up and are providing test and learn opportunities for practitioner-friendly models of behavior. The aim of this supplement is to bring together a collection of papers that illustrate the application of behavioral science to increase immunization uptake in LMICs, with a particular focus on models of behavior that are “practitioner-friendly”.

The selection of papers will focus on a mix of conceptual, empirical, and methodological articles along with exemplar case studies. Some potential topics include:

• Defining, characterizing, and studying practitioner-friendly models of behavior change (Guest Editors)
  • What are they and how are they helpful?
• Practitioner-friendly models: comparison and contrast with established theories of behavior change.
• Application of practitioner-friendly models for formative research and intervention design
  • Exemplar Case #1: Identifying and addressing barriers to COVID-19 vaccination at a mass vaccination site in Cote d’Ivoire;
  • Exemplar Case #2: Reducing vaccine hesitancy among health care workers in Nigeria;
  • Exemplar Case #3: Pharmacist’s recommendation for COVID-19 vaccination at public health facilities in rural Kenya.
• Application of practitioner-friendly models for impact evaluation
  • Exemplar Case #4: Impact evaluation of a social media intervention to reduce vaccine hesitancy among health care workers in Nigeria;
  • Exemplar Case #5: An RCT to evaluate effects of pharmacist recommendation to obtain COVID-19 vaccination at public health facilities in rural Kenya.
• Employing practitioner-friendly behavior models
  • Facilitators, barriers, and solutions in implementing practitioner-friendly models;
  • How to convince stakeholders within an organization;
  • Engagement of key stakeholders.
• Methods of data collection (showcase different methods)
  • Methods of data collection;
  • Sources of data collection;
  • Practical challenges in collecting and using data;
  • Exemplar Case #6: Using BeSD data for a practitioner-friendly model in country X;
  • Exemplar Case #7: Using BeSD data for a practitioner-friendly model in country Y;
  • Reflections on methods and methodology.
• Technical skills and financial resources required for implementing practitioner-friendly
• Data analysis skills required.
• Funder’s perspective
  • Why adopt practitioner-friendly models of behavior;
  • Selling practitioner-friendly models of behavior within funding organizations.
• Epilogue: reflections on practitioner-friendly models of behavior and the future of interventions. 

We will work with the Editors of Vaccines in canvassing manuscripts from a wide range of authors to ensure high-quality submissions. We will make efforts to encourage submissions based on intervention research in low- and middle-income countries and, after initial review, work with the authors to make sure that the manuscripts fare well in the peer-review process. Members of the behavioral science network in Ghana and Nepal will be encouraged to contribute case studies.

All submissions will be peer-reviewed, and a list of reviewers will be developed in close cooperation with the Editors.

Prof. Dr. William Douglas Evans
Dr. Sohail Agha
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Vaccines is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• behavioral interventions
• vaccination
• behavioral science
• social and behavior change (SBC)
• behavioral and social drivers (BeSD)
• Africa