As the number of corona patients in the United States increases by ten percent per week, the vaccination rate remains stagnant. Transformed into a population, the Netherlands has vaccinated more people than the United States, while the country has gotten off to a very energetic start. The problem is that Americans are willing to come to any extent and take a shot.
Some states have already provided money to increase the likelihood of getting vaccinated, or they have issued lottery tickets. According to the Biden administration, all non-vaccinated Americans will receive $ 100.
A strategy that is not unique to the US: From May, Serbs will be paid 25 euros if they are vaccinated. There are plenty of rewards in other ways as well. Prime Minister Andrzej Babis announced on Friday that the Czech Republic is offering two extra days off to vaccinated officers.
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Studies conducted in previous vaccination campaigns show that such incentives can work. Take A British study One thousand 16 to 18-year-old women called for the HPV vaccine. The group that was awarded 45 (over 55 55) showed 10 per cent more than the group that was not promised money.
Published in the journal in 2008, according to a comprehensive literary review on this topic Medical care research and studyIt appears again and again that price incentives lead to higher vaccine coverage. Researchers note that many studies focus primarily on those with relatively low incomes. This makes it difficult to publish general statements.
There are signs that some people are more likely to get a corona shot, especially in exchange for money. So that was given During the trial Of the 7,000 Americans who have not been vaccinated, one-third are likely to be vaccinated if they have the money to pay. At the highly recommended amount of $ 100, this effect is strong.
Not much is known about how this works in practice. Who are the American researchers Vaccination rate compared Before and after setting up a lottery in Ohio – in which participants could win up to $ 1 million – no effect was found. Obviously, the chance of winning money is not equal to the guaranteed amount.
It is also not easy to determine what effect the 25 euro reward in Serbia will have on the vaccination rate. In any case it is clear that it has not become a sanjeevi. About 40 percent of the Serbian population has at least one shot, and that percentage is slowly increasing. By comparison: in the Netherlands this percentage is more than 70 per cent.
Ethical protests
Andrea Evers, a professor of health psychology at Leiden University, says there are ethical objections to giving money. Rather than the opposite De Volskrant. Let’s assume that someone with benefits needs that money very badly, but is actually tough against the vaccine. Such a person can be completely vaccinated for money. ‘For example, the distribution of money may be indirectly imposed on a section of the population.
Always sees more in small rewards like flowers or free drink. Such strategies are already being used. For example, the Russian capital, Moscow, draws residents to a test street with free ice creams. And in April, the report Hindustan Times The vaccinated people were given hand mixers or gold nose buds in the Indian city of Rajkot.
A spokesman said the Dutch Ministry of Health was not considering achieving financial incentives or other rewards. It is not necessary because the preference for vaccination seems to be relatively high among the Dutch.
Minister Hugo de Jong has always said that vaccination is not in favor of compulsion or urgency, ‘he continued. It is not our policy to award (financial) compensation or gift for receiving jab.