Cognitive ability, health policy, and the dynamics of COVID-19 vaccination

Mikael Elinder; Oscar Erixson; Mattias Öhman

doi:10.1016/j.jhealeco.2023.102802

Cognitive ability, health policy, and the dynamics of COVID-19 vaccination

J Health Econ. 2023 Sep:91:102802. doi: 10.1016/j.jhealeco.2023.102802. Epub 2023 Aug 19.

Authors

Mikael Elinder¹, Oscar Erixson², Mattias Öhman³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Economics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
² Institute for Housing and Urban Research, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden. Electronic address: oscar.erixson@ibf.uu.se.
³ Institute for Housing and Urban Research, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.

PMID: 37672962
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhealeco.2023.102802

Abstract

We examine the relationship between cognitive ability and prompt COVID-19 vaccination using individual-level data on more than 700,000 individuals in Sweden. We find a strong positive association between cognitive ability and swift vaccination, which remains even after controlling for confounding variables with a twin-design. The results suggest that the complexity of the vaccination decision may make it difficult for individuals with lower cognitive abilities to understand the benefits of vaccination. Consistent with this, we show that simplifying the vaccination decision through pre-booked vaccination appointments alleviates almost all of the inequality in vaccination behavior.

Keywords: Administrative data; COVID-19; Intelligence; Nudge; Twin-design; Vaccination.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

COVID-19 Vaccines / therapeutic use
COVID-19* / epidemiology
COVID-19* / prevention & control
Cognition
Health Policy
Humans
Sweden / epidemiology

Substances

COVID-19 Vaccines