Abstract
Annual vaccination is the most effective way to prevent seasonal influenza. However, globally, the recommendations vary from country to country, ranging from universal recommendations, risk-group-specific recommendations, to no recommendation at all. Due to high diversity both in recommendation practice and country-specific preconditions, it is difficult to determine the effect of different recommendations on vaccine uptake. This incentivised laboratory experiment (N = 288) tests the behavioural consequences of different recommendations in a repeated interactive vaccination game. The participants are part of heterogeneous groups, comprised of low- and high-risk type of players. They receive either a universal, risk-group-specific or no recommendation prior to their vaccination decisions. Results show that individuals are sensitive to the recommendations. In detail, a risk-group-specific recommendation increases vaccine uptake of high-risk types. However, at the same time, it decreases vaccine uptake of low-risk types. The results imply that when the proportion of low-risk types in a population is considerably larger than the high-risk group, a risk-group-specific (vs. universal) recommendation comes at the cost of decreased social benefit of vaccination due to the overall lower vaccine uptake. Policy decision-making should therefore complement epidemiological considerations with potential positive and negative behavioural consequences of vaccination recommendations.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 66-75 |
Number of pages | 10 |
Journal | Health Economics |
Volume | 26 |
Issue number | S3 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Dec 2017 |
Externally published | Yes |
Austrian Fields of Science 2012
- 501021 Social psychology
Keywords
- COUNTRIES
- EUROPE
- GAME
- HEALTH BEHAVIOR
- HERD-IMMUNITY
- INFLUENZA VACCINATION
- NORMS
- POLICIES
- health behaviour
- health policy
- vaccination