Researchers from the University of Georgia and the Oak Ridge Associated Universities believe that virtual reality (VR) simulations might improve flu vaccination numbers.

When measured against literature on influenza in the form of an e-pamphlet, a statement from the Center for Disease Control and a non-interactive video, a five-minute interactive VR game on the topic of influenza spurred more study participants — those in the 18 to 49 age group who had previously opted out of receiving the vaccination — to contemplate getting the shot, according to researchers.

The team determined that the five-minute interactive VR was more successful in spurring participants to action because they were able to "see" the impact getting the flu had on themselves. Likewise, the VR demonstrated the impact of passing on the flu to vulnerable populations including the elderly, small children and to those with compromised immune systems. Additionally, the VR session also demonstrated how the vaccine works to protect the body.

Researchers believe that the VR could encourage people who normally opt-out of receiving the vaccination to get vaccinated, thereby preventing the spread of the flu. Often, people opt out of receiving the vaccination because they believe that it is easily treatable. Yet that is not the case especially for vulnerable populations, according to the health care industry. As such, the research team believes the interactive VR drives that point home better than traditional flu-related literature.

As VR and its counterpart augmented reality (AR) are becoming more and more sophisticated, they are finding a number of unexpected use cases in a wide range of industries. In the education industry, for instance, financially challenged school districts can take students on virtual field trips. Likewise, the technology is also being used to prevent dog bites and to train employees of cruise ships and those in the military.

The research appears in the journal Vaccine.