ClinicalTrials.gg
RecruitingNCT07551986Updated Sep 29, 2026

Building Cognitive Resilience to Vaccine Misinformation Using AI in Europe

An interventional study of AI-driven chatbot and Social media infographic in Healthy, sponsored by London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Recruiting at 1 site in United Kingdom. Open to participants aged 20 Years and older, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-09-29.

Sponsored by London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine · Not applicable, Interventional, and Health services research

From the registry’s dates

  • Started Jun 2026; still recruiting 5 months later.
Updated Sep 29, 2026Now RecruitingFirst site in United Kingdom+4 moreGo to Updates ↓
Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
5,000
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
20 Years and older
Sex
All
01

Study summary

This multi-country trial evaluates an AI chatbot designed to counter cognitive biases and inoculate parents against vaccine misinformation, embedded within a large survey across five European countries (n=5,000). Scaled from a 2026 single-country study, outcomes compare behavioural and attitudinal responses against standard-of-care materials (e.g., UNICEF infographics) to identify effective, scalable misinformation interventions.

Read the detailed description

The aim of this multi-country trial is to identify and quantify the effectiveness of inoculation strategies against vaccine-related misinformation. Building on a single-country study implemented in early 2026 [NCT07488962], the study evaluates an AI chatbot designed to counter cognitive biases, embedded within a larger survey to enable integrated assessment of engagement, behavioural responses, and system performance at scale.

The study will be conducted across five European countries-the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Croatia, Latvia, and Slovakia-with a total sample of 5,000 parents or caregivers (n=1,000 per country). Participants will complete a structured survey assessing childhood vaccination behaviours, vaccine confidence, trust in information sources, exposure to misinformation, and relevant psychological and sociodemographic factors.

Participants will be randomly assigned to either the intervention or control arm. The intervention arm will receive the AI-based chatbot, while the control arm will receive standard-of-care materials-such as national or international health institute communications (e.g., UNICEF infographics)-that address the same misinformation messages, enabling a direct and rigorous comparison.

The primary outcome is parents' ability to correctly distinguish true from false childhood vaccine statements. Quantitative analyses will include pooled and country-specific models to identify determinants of vaccine confidence and estimate intervention effects. Findings will clarify drivers of declining vaccine confidence and assess whether a scalable AI-based chatbot can reduce vulnerability to misinformation and support informed vaccination decisions.

02

Conditions studied

  • Healthy

Keywords

  • childhood vaccine
  • AI
  • chatbot
  • randomized controlled trial
03

In context

Lead sponsor

London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine is the lead sponsor of 298 studies on the registry; 15 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
20 Years and older
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  • Parents or caregivers with children under 18 years old in the five target countries (UK, Netherlands, Croatia, Latvia, and Slovakia); and
  • Those who have regular access to a digital device and the internet

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Participants who do not meet the inclusion criteria.
05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Health services research
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Double (Investigator, Outcomes assessor)
Enrollment
5,000 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    AI-driven chatbot

    An interactive, web-based, AI-driven chatbot intervention designed to counter vaccine misinformation. It can be accessed via a personal computer, tablet, or mobile device through a web- browser link.

    Behavioral: AI-driven chatbot

  • Active comparator
    Social media infographic

    A UNICEF social media infographic with three "myth vs. fact" statements on vaccination that correspond to the same misinformation tactics explained by the MindShield chatbot.

    Behavioral: Social media infographic

Interventions

  • BehavioralAI-driven chatbot

    A tailored AI-driven chatbot designed to counter vaccine misinformation.

  • BehavioralSocial media infographic

    A UNICEF social media infographic with three "myth vs. fact" statements on vaccination.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Parental susceptibility to misinformation about childhood vaccination

    The primary outcome of this study will assess parental susceptibility to misinformation about childhood vaccination, defined as parents' ability to accurately distinguish between true and false vaccine-related information. This will be measured using ten statements on childhood vaccines, including four true and six false, rumour-related statements. Two of the rumour-related statements correspond to each of the three misinformation tactics introduced by the chatbot and the UNICEF infographic. This measure reflects parents' ability to identify misinformation containing manipulation tactics they were inoculated against and to distinguish true from false information regarding childhood vaccination. Responses will be recorded as "True", "False", or "Don't know". A composite misinformation susceptibility score will be calculated based on the number of correct responses, with higher scores indicating greater ability to identify vaccine misinformation accurately.

    Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 20-30 minutes

Secondary outcomes

  1. Vaccine confidence

    Vaccine confidence will be assessed using three statements addressing whether childhood vaccines are important, safe, and effective. Responses will range from "Strongly agree" to "Strongly disagree", with a "Don't know" option. A composite score ranging from 0 to 100 will be calculated, with higher scores indicating greater vaccine confidence.

    Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 20-30 minutes

07

Study locations

1 of 1 sites recruiting
08

Updates

1 registry update since Sep 25, 2026
Status
Not yet recruiting→Recruiting
changed Sep 29, 2026
Sites
1 site added — first site in United Kingdom
Show site
  • London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine · London, United Kingdom
Sep 29, 2026
Start date
Apr 2026→Jun 5, 2026 (actual)
Sep 29, 2026
Primary completion
Apr 2026→Dec 2026
Sep 29, 2026
Study completion
Apr 2026→Dec 2026
Sep 29, 2026
Secondary outcomes
1 edited
What changed in the outcomes
  • ChangedBefore Self-efficacyNow Vaccine confidenceTime frame: Through study completion, an average of 20-30 minutes
Sep 29, 2026
Show all 1 update
  1. Sep 29, 2026
    Not yet recruiting→Recruiting
    1 site added — first site in United Kingdom
    Show site
    • London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine · London, United Kingdom
    Start date Apr 2026→Jun 5, 2026 (now actual)
    Primary completion Apr 2026→Dec 2026
    Study completion Apr 2026→Dec 2026
    Secondary outcomes 1 edited
    What changed in the outcomes
    • ChangedBefore Self-efficacyNow Vaccine confidenceTime frame: Through study completion, an average of 20-30 minutes

From the registry record's own update history. This site started tracking changes on Sep 25, 2026; for anything earlier, see the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

09

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT07551986
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Apr 27, 2026
Start date
Jun 5, 2026
Primary completion
Dec 2026 (estimated)
Completion
Dec 2026 (estimated)
Last update
Sep 29, 2026

Study contacts

Leesa Lin, PhD
Contact
Leesa.Lin@lshtm.ac.uk
+44 (0)20 7636 8636
Kana Kobayashi, MSPH
Contact
Kana.Kobayashi@lshtm.ac.uk
Leesa Lin, PhD
principal investigator · London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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