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Influenza Vaccination Campaigns: Is an Ounce of Prevention Worth a Pound of Cure?

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  • Courtney J. Ward

Abstract

This paper estimates the overall impact and externality effects of an influenza vaccination program expanding coverage outside the typical target group. Using a triple-difference design, which exploits the introduction of a broad based vaccination program in Ontario and the quality of the vaccine from year to year, I link higher vaccination to health improvements. Results indicate coverage expansion leads to large excess gains for program-regions; benefits exhibit decreasing returns corresponding to a standard model of disease dynamics; and substantial external benefits accrue to older adults.

Suggested Citation

  • Courtney J. Ward, 2014. "Influenza Vaccination Campaigns: Is an Ounce of Prevention Worth a Pound of Cure?," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 6(1), pages 38-72, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:aejapp:v:6:y:2014:i:1:p:38-72
    Note: DOI: 10.1257/app.6.1.38
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Josselin Thuilliez & Nouhoum Touré, 2024. "Opinions and vaccination during an epidemic," Post-Print hal-04490900, HAL.
    2. Seth M. Freedman & Daniel W. Sacks & Kosali I. Simon & Coady Wing, 2022. "Direct and indirect effects of vaccines: Evidence from COVID-19," NBER Working Papers 30550, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    3. Fang, Guanfu & Li, Wei & Zhu, Ying, 2022. "The shadow of the epidemic: Long-term impacts of meningitis exposure on risk preference and behaviors," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 157(C).
    4. Katharina Muhlhoff, 2021. "Why Covid19 will not be gone soon: Lessons from the institutional economics of smallpox vaccination in 19th Century Germany," Working Papers 0208, European Historical Economics Society (EHES).
    5. David E. Bloom & Michael Kuhn & Klaus Prettner, 2022. "Modern Infectious Diseases: Macroeconomic Impacts and Policy Responses," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 60(1), pages 85-131, March.
    6. Jelnov, Artyom & Jelnov, Pavel, 2022. "Vaccination policy and trust," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).
    7. Corey White, 2021. "Measuring Social and Externality Benefits of Influenza Vaccination," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 56(3), pages 749-785.
    8. Lawler, Emily C., 2017. "Effectiveness of vaccination recommendations versus mandates: Evidence from the hepatitis A vaccine," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 45-62.
    9. Hoffmann, Manuel & Mosquera, Roberto & Chadi, Adrian, 2019. "Vaccines at Work," VfS Annual Conference 2019 (Leipzig): 30 Years after the Fall of the Berlin Wall - Democracy and Market Economy 203661, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    10. Stefan Pichler & Katherine Wen & Nicolas R. Ziebarth, 2021. "Positive Health Externalities of Mandating Paid Sick Leave," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 40(3), pages 715-743, June.
    11. Alexander E. Saak & David A. Hennessy, 2018. "A model of reporting and controlling outbreaks by public health agencies," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 66(1), pages 21-64, July.
    12. Mühlhoff, Katharina, 2022. "Convincing the “Herd” of immunity: Lessons from smallpox vaccination in 19th century Germany," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 47(C).
    13. Jürgen Maurer & Katherine M. Harris, 2016. "Learning to Trust Flu Shots: Quasi‐Experimental Evidence from the 2009 Swine Flu Pandemic," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 25(9), pages 1148-1162, September.
    14. Bronchetti, Erin Todd & Huffman, David B. & Magenheim, Ellen, 2015. "Attention, intentions, and follow-through in preventive health behavior: Field experimental evidence on flu vaccination," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 116(C), pages 270-291.
    15. Josselin Thuilliez & Nouhoum Touré, 2024. "Opinions and vaccination during an epidemic," Université Paris1 Panthéon-Sorbonne (Post-Print and Working Papers) hal-04490900, HAL.
    16. Churchill, Brandyn F., 2021. "How important is the structure of school vaccine requirement opt-out provisions? Evidence from Washington, DC's HPV vaccine requirement," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    17. Ginger Zhe Jin & Thomas G. Koch, 2018. "Learning by Suffering? Patterns in Flu Shot Take-up," NBER Working Papers 25272, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    18. Maurer, J. & Harris, K.M., 2015. "Learning to trust flu shots: quasi-experimental evidence on the role of learning in influenza vaccination decisions from the 2009 influenza A/H1N1 (swine flu) pandemic," Health, Econometrics and Data Group (HEDG) Working Papers 15/19, HEDG, c/o Department of Economics, University of York.
    19. Bouckaert, Nicolas & Gielen, Anne C. & Van Ourti, Tom, 2020. "It runs in the family – Influenza vaccination and spillover effects," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    20. Shenoy, Ajay & Sharma, Bhavyaa & Xu, Guanghong & Kapoor, Rolly & Rho, Haedong Aiden & Sangha, Kinpritma, 2022. "God is in the rain: The impact of rainfall-induced early social distancing on COVID-19 outbreaks," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    21. Christopher S. Carpenter & Emily C. Lawler, 2017. "Direct and Spillover Effects of Middle School Vaccination Requirements," NBER Working Papers 23107, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    22. Brilli, Ylenia & Lucifora, Claudio & Russo, Antonio & Tonello, Marco, 2020. "Vaccination take-up and health: Evidence from a flu vaccination program for the elderly," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 179(C), pages 323-341.
    23. Neilson, William & Xiao, Yancheng, 2018. "Equilibrium vaccination patterns in incomplete and heterogeneous networks," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 174-192.
    24. Courtney J. Ward, 2015. "It's an ill wind: The effect of fine particulate air pollution on respiratory hospitalizations," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 48(5), pages 1694-1732, December.
    25. Jamie Bedson & Laura A. Skrip & Danielle Pedi & Sharon Abramowitz & Simone Carter & Mohamed F. Jalloh & Sebastian Funk & Nina Gobat & Tamara Giles-Vernick & Gerardo Chowell & João Rangel Almeida & Ran, 2021. "A review and agenda for integrated disease models including social and behavioural factors," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 5(7), pages 834-846, July.

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    JEL classification:

    • H75 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - State and Local Government: Health, Education, and Welfare
    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health

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    1. Influenza Vaccination Campaigns: Is an Ounce of Prevention Worth a Pound of Cure? (American Economic Journal: Applied Economics 2014) in ReplicationWiki

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