State Lotteries Didn't Help Boost Vaccination Rates

FRIDAY, Oct. 15, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- A changeable astatine winning $1 cardinal did thing to budge the fig of radical who got the COVID-19 jab.

According to a caller study, lotteries successful 19 states designed to promote radical to get vaccinated for COVID-19 did not change the complaint of those who got the shot. In fact, vaccination rates were the aforesaid successful lottery and non-lottery states.

"It's imaginable that the radical that you're trying to person to get vaccinated is not convinced that they privation the vaccine astatine all," said researcher Andrew Friedson, an subordinate prof of economics astatine the University of Colorado successful Denver.

"Maybe they've been taxable to immoderate incorrect accusation with respect to the dangers of vaccines oregon with respect to the benefits of vaccines, and past unless you're capable to set their beliefs, nary inducement is going to marque a difference," helium said.

For the study, Friedson and his colleagues looked astatine the fig of COVID-19 vaccinations fixed per 1,000 radical earlier and aft the lotteries were announced. The researchers compared that information to the fig of COVID-19 vaccines fixed successful states that did not connection prize incentives.

The investigators recovered small to nary relation betwixt having a lottery and vaccination rates. There was fundamentally "zero difference" successful vaccination rates successful states that had a lottery versus those that didn't, Friedson said.

"If you judge thing is dangerous, a lottery summons is not going to person you to bash it," helium noted.

Friedson thinks the lone attack that mightiness enactment to scope those who garbage to get vaccinated is immoderate benignant of acquisition programme that would person radical the vaccines are harmless and effective.

"I'm consenting to effort thing wrong reason," helium said. "So we've tried lotteries, they look similar they're not working, and present it's clip to determination connected and effort thing new."

But changing minds is difficult, Friedson said, and determination whitethorn beryllium a hardcore radical that won't get vaccinated, nary substance what you do.

"I anticipation not," helium said. "But that is surely a possibility. We're decidedly getting into a radical that's acold much hard to convince, and I bash not cognize what it's going to take."

The study was published online Oct. 15 successful JAMA Health Forum.

Dr. Kevin Schulman, a prof of medicine astatine Stanford University's Clinical Excellence Research Center successful Palo Alto, Calif., thinks lotteries were worthy trying.

"Lotteries were important tactics to effort and summation vaccination astatine a authorities level. Many of the states implementing lotteries were 'red' states, truthful I'm grateful that the Republican enactment began to get engaged successful vaccination efforts. In the end, a maneuver is not a connection strategy," Schulman said.

Communication tactics should beryllium tested and evaluated to spot if they are effective, Schulman added. "However, if a maneuver fails, you request to instrumentality different approaches to vaccine communication. In galore cases, the lottery was a azygous effort and erstwhile it didn't person the intended effect, we didn't spot follow-up with different programs," helium said.

Another adept isn't amazed that offering wealth to radical to spell against their beliefs doesn't work.

"Most radical marque wellness choices weighing the risks, costs and benefits. In the lawsuit of vaccines, galore chose to get vaccinated, arsenic they worth starring a long, healthful life," said Iwan Barankay. He is an subordinate prof of concern economics and nationalist argumentation astatine the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, successful Philadelphia

"Those who did not get vaccinated were not swayed by those precious wellness benefits, truthful it seems illogical that a fewer dollars successful expected payouts could person them otherwise. The effect that tiny incentives bash not impact wellness outcomes has been replicably shown successful aggregate caller objective trials," helium explained.

Also, a caller randomized tract experimentation successful Philadelphia that varied incentives to get vaccinated besides showed nary effect connected vaccination rates, Barankay said.

"There are, however, existent socioeconomic and taste barriers which pb radical to debar vaccines based connected their preferences oregon experiences – but again, tiny dollar amounts won't beryllium capable to code these," helium added.

It is the acquisition of seeing friends, household and colleagues becoming sick, and the gains vaccine mandates bring successful vaccination rates that marque a difference, Barankay said.

"It is important to proceed the effort to amusement radical existent information from their communities connected the hospitalization rates of vaccinated versus unvaccinated people, and however mandates wrong companies trim COVID lawsuit numbers owed to an summation successful vaccination rates," helium said.

More information

For much connected COVID-19 vaccines, caput to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

SOURCES: Andrew Friedson, PhD, subordinate professor, economics, University of Colorado, Denver; Kevin Schulman, MD, professor, medicine Clinical Excellence Research Center, Stanford University, Palo Alto, Calif.; Iwan Barankay, PhD, subordinate professor, concern economics and nationalist policy, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia; JAMA Health Forum, Oct. 15, 2021, online