TY - JOUR

T1 - Anticipation of COVID-19 vaccines reduces willingness to socially distance

AU - Campos-Mercade, Pol

AU - Andersson, Ola

AU - Meier, Armando

AU - Wengström, Erik

PY - 2021/12

Y1 - 2021/12

N2 - 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 whetherproviding information about the safety, effectiveness, and availability of COVID-19 vaccines affects the willingness to comply with public health guidelines. We find that vaccine informationreduces peoples’ voluntary social distancing, adherence to hygiene guidelines, and their willingness to stay at home. Getting positive information on COVID-19 vaccines induces people tobelieve 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 withpublic 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 socialdistancing will be less effective, and stricter policies might be required.

AB - 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 whetherproviding information about the safety, effectiveness, and availability of COVID-19 vaccines affects the willingness to comply with public health guidelines. We find that vaccine informationreduces peoples’ voluntary social distancing, adherence to hygiene guidelines, and their willingness to stay at home. Getting positive information on COVID-19 vaccines induces people tobelieve 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 withpublic 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 socialdistancing will be less effective, and stricter policies might be required.

KW - Faculty of Social Sciences

KW - vaccine information

KW - social distancing

KW - vaccination

KW - information

KW - economic epidemiology

KW - public health communication

U2 - 10.1016/j.jhealeco.2021.102530

DO - 10.1016/j.jhealeco.2021.102530

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 34563830

VL - 80

JO - Journal of Health Economics

JF - Journal of Health Economics

SN - 0167-6296

M1 - 102530

ER -