Free-riding behavior in vaccination decisions: an experimental study

Individual decision-making regarding vaccination may be affected by the vaccination choices of others. As vaccination produces externalities reducing transmission of a disease, it can provide an incentive for individuals to be free-riders who benefit from the vaccination of others while avoiding the...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:PloS one 2014-01, Vol.9 (1), p.e87164-e87164
Main Authors: Ibuka, Yoko, Li, Meng, Vietri, Jeffrey, Chapman, Gretchen B, Galvani, Alison P
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Choice Behavior
Consumption
Decision Making
Disease transmission
Economics
Epidemiology
Experiments
Externality
Female
Game theory
Games
Games, Experimental
Humans
Incentives
Infections
Infectious diseases
Influenza
Influenza vaccines
Influenza Vaccines - administration & dosage
Influenza Vaccines - economics
Influenza, Human - prevention & control
Influenza, Human - psychology
Male
Measles
Medical research
Medicine
Motivation
Parents & parenting
Public health
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Social networks
Statistical analysis
Students
Studies
Vaccination
Vaccination - economics
Vaccination - psychology
Vaccines
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Individual decision-making regarding vaccination may be affected by the vaccination choices of others. As vaccination produces externalities reducing transmission of a disease, it can provide an incentive for individuals to be free-riders who benefit from the vaccination of others while avoiding the cost of vaccination. This study examined an individual's decision about vaccination in a group setting for a hypothetical disease that is called "influenza" using a computerized experimental game. In the game, interactions with others are allowed. We found that higher observed vaccination rate within the group during the previous round of the game decreased the likelihood of an individual's vaccination acceptance, indicating the existence of free-riding behavior. The free-riding behavior was observed regardless of parameter conditions on the characteristics of the influenza and vaccine. We also found that other predictors of vaccination uptake included an individual's own influenza exposure in previous rounds increasing the likelihood of vaccination acceptance, consistent with existing empirical studies. Influenza prevalence among other group members during the previous round did not have a statistically significant effect on vaccination acceptance in the current round once vaccination rate in the previous round was controlled for.
ISSN:1932-6203
1932-6203
DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0087164