Anticipation of COVID-19 vaccines reduces willingness to socially distance

Ola Andersson, Pol Campos-Mercade, Armando N. Meier and Erik Wengström

Journal of Health Economics, 2021, vol. 80, issue C

Abstract: We investigate how the anticipation of COVID-19 vaccines affects voluntary social distancing. In a large-scale preregistered survey experiment with a representative sample, we study whether providing information about the safety, effectiveness, and availability of COVID-19 vaccines affects the willingness to comply with public health guidelines. We find that vaccine information reduces peoples’ voluntary social distancing, adherence to hygiene guidelines, and their willingness to stay at home. Getting positive information on COVID-19 vaccines induces people to believe in a swifter return to normal life. The results indicate an important behavioral drawback of successful vaccine development: An increased focus on vaccines can lower compliance with public health guidelines and accelerate the spread of infectious disease. The results imply that, as vaccinations roll out and the end of a pandemic feels closer, policies aimed at increasing social distancing will be less effective, and stricter policies might be required.

Keywords: Vaccine information; Social distancing; Vaccination; Information; Economic epidemiology; Public health communication (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D83 D91 I12 I18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (22)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jhecon:v:80:y:2021:i:c:s0167629621001156

DOI: 10.1016/j.jhealeco.2021.102530

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