Anatomy of a Health Scare: Education, Income and the MMR Controversy in the UK

Dan Anderberg, Arnaud Chevalier and Jonathan Wadsworth

CEP Discussion Papers from Centre for Economic Performance, LSE

Abstract: One theory for why there is an education gradient in health outcomes is that more educatedindividuals more quickly absorb new health-related information. The measles, mumps, andrubella (MMR) controversy provides a case where, for a short period, some publicizedresearch suggested that the particular childhood vaccine could have serious side-effects. Asthe controversy unfolded, uptake of the vaccine by more educated parents decreased relativeto that of less educated parents, turning a positive education gradient into a negative one. Wealso consider the response in terms of uptake of other childhood vaccines and purchases ofalternatives to the MMR.

Keywords: Childhood vaccinations; health outcomes; education (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: H42 I18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-hea
Date: 2009-05
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Working Paper: Anatomy of a Health Scare: Education, Income and the MMR Controversy in the UK (2008)
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