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Trade-Offs between Vaccine Effectiveness and Vaccine Safety: Personal versus Policy Decisions

Author

Listed:
  • Semra Ozdemir

    (Duke-NUS Medical School
    Duke University)

  • Sean Ng

    (Duke-NUS Medical School)

  • Vinh Anh Huynh

    (Duke-NUS Medical School)

  • Axel Mühlbacher

    (Hochschule Neubrandenburg)

  • Hiang Khoon Tan

    (Singapore General Hospital and National Cancer Centre
    SingHealth Duke NUS Academic Medical Center
    Duke University)

  • Eric Andrew Finkelstein

    (Duke-NUS Medical School
    Duke University)

Abstract

Objective We aimed to investigate whether individuals’ trade-offs between vaccine effectiveness and vaccine safety vary if they are asked to consider the perspective of a policymaker making decisions for others compared with the decisions they would make for themselves. Method A web-enabled discrete choice experiment survey was administered between 1 April and 1 May 2022 to participants recruited from the general population of two Southeast Asian countries (Indonesia and Vietnam). In each country, 500 participants were randomly assigned to make decisions regarding coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines for others as a policymaker or in a personal capacity for their own use. Vaccines were characterized by three attributes: (1) effectiveness of the vaccine in reducing infection rate; (2) effectiveness of the vaccine in reducing hospitalization among those infected; and (3) risk of death from vaccine-related serious adverse events. A mixed logit model was utilized for analyses. Results Based on the attributes and levels used in this study, the most important vaccine attribute was the risk of death from vaccine-related adverse events, followed by effectiveness in reducing infection rate and hospitalizations. Compared with personal decisions, the mean probability of choosing a vaccine was (1) lower, and (2) more sensitive to the changes in risk of death from adverse events in policy decisions (p ≤ 0.01). Conclusions and Relevance Our results suggest that, in the face of an infectious disease pandemic, individuals are likely to be more risk-averse to vaccine-related deaths when making decisions for others as a policymaker than they would for themselves.

Suggested Citation

  • Semra Ozdemir & Sean Ng & Vinh Anh Huynh & Axel Mühlbacher & Hiang Khoon Tan & Eric Andrew Finkelstein, 2023. "Trade-Offs between Vaccine Effectiveness and Vaccine Safety: Personal versus Policy Decisions," PharmacoEconomics - Open, Springer, vol. 7(6), pages 915-926, November.
  • Handle: RePEc:spr:pharmo:v:7:y:2023:i:6:d:10.1007_s41669-023-00442-x
    DOI: 10.1007/s41669-023-00442-x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    3. Emily Lancsar & Elizabeth Savage, 2004. "Deriving welfare measures from discrete choice experiments: inconsistency between current methods and random utility and welfare theory," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 13(9), pages 901-907, September.
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