Improving Childhood Immunization through Maternal Support: Evidence from a Randomized Intervention in Pakistan

We evaluate the effectiveness of randomized interventions aimed at alleviating psychological barriers (maternal stress and difficulty visualizing the future) and addressing information frictions on early childhood immunization uptake in a sample of 2,145 mothers of infants in Pakistan. A phone-delivered intervention providing psychological support and visualization techniques to mothers increases the total number of vaccines received by young children by 0.3, or 7% of the control mean, one year after baseline. The impacts are larger for lower-income households. We also find that the intervention improves maternal knowledge, attitudes, and perceived returns to vaccination, highlighting the role of psychological support in shaping health behaviors. However, supplementing this intervention with vaccination-related information from influencers does not yield additional benefits.