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Anticipation of COVID-19 vaccines reduces willingness to socially distance

Andersson, Ola ; Campos-Mercade, Pol ; Meier, Armando and Wengström, Erik LU (2021) In Journal of Health Economics 80.
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... (More)
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. (Less)
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author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Vaccine information, Social distancing, Vaccination, Information, Economic epidemiology, Public health communication, I12, I18, D83, D91
in
Journal of Health Economics
volume
80
article number
102530
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • pmid:34563830
  • scopus:85115417674
ISSN
0167-6296
DOI
10.1016/j.jhealeco.2021.102530
project
Interventioner, preferenser och vaccination mot COVID-19
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
39924e69-1abf-4243-b76b-fc08fb76ccbd
date added to LUP
2021-09-30 13:18:35
date last changed
2025-04-04 14:12:09
@article{39924e69-1abf-4243-b76b-fc08fb76ccbd,
  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.}},
  author       = {{Andersson, Ola and Campos-Mercade, Pol and Meier, Armando and Wengström, Erik}},
  issn         = {{0167-6296}},
  keywords     = {{Vaccine information; Social distancing; Vaccination; Information; Economic epidemiology; Public health communication; I12; I18; D83; D91}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Journal of Health Economics}},
  title        = {{Anticipation of COVID-19 vaccines reduces willingness to socially distance}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jhealeco.2021.102530}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.jhealeco.2021.102530}},
  volume       = {{80}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}