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Text messaging parents to remind them about vaccinating their child against flu boosts uptake in hard-to-reach groups, a study has found.

Text messaging parents to remind them about vaccinating their child against flu boosts uptake in hard-to-reach groups, a study has found.

Researchers from New York's Columbia Universit sent texts to parents of around 4,000 children in disadvantaged urban areas. They found they were more likely to attend for vaccination than those contacted by phone, or sent fliers.

'It can reach large populations, and for vaccines like influenza recommended for the majority of the population, even small increases in vaccination rates can lead to large numbers of protected individuals,' the researchers said.