Primary Factors Influencing the Decision to Vaccinate against COVID-19 in the United States: A Pre-Vaccine Analysis.

Because vaccine hesitancy is a dynamic trait, it is critical to identify and compare the contributing factors at the different stages of a pandemic. The prediction of vaccine decision making and the interpretation of the analytical relationships among variables that encompass public perceptions and attitudes towards the COVID-19 pandemic have been extensively limited to the studies conducted after the administration of the first FDA-approved vaccine in December of 2020. In order to fill the gap in the literature, we used six predictive models and identified the most important factors, via Gini importance measures, that contribute to the prediction of COVID-19 vaccine acceptors and refusers using a nationwide survey that was administered in November 2020, before the widespread use of COVID-19 vaccines. Concerns about (re)contracting COVID-19 and opinions regarding mandatory face covering were identified as the most important predictors of vaccine decision making. By investigating the vaccine acceptors and refusers before the introduction of COVID-19 vaccines, we can help public health officials design and deliver individually tailored and dynamic vaccination programs that can increase the overall vaccine uptake.

Willingness to Pay for a Hypothetical COVID-19 Vaccine in the United States: A Contingent Valuation Approach.

Our objective was to estimate the individual willingness to pay (WTP) for a COVID-19 vaccine and evaluate its predictors in the United States. A double-bounded dichotomous choice contingent valuation with open-ended question technique was implemented based on the responses to a national survey administered during the first week of November 2020. The final sample size was 1285. The results showed that individual WTP values increased with income, whether a household member had any pre-existing condition, and perceived threat of the virus. The vaccine efficacy rate and duration of protection were found to be important factors for the respondents. The mean WTP for a vaccine with a 95 percent efficacy rate and 3-year protection (US$318.76) was approximately 35 percent greater than the vaccine with a 50 percent efficacy rate and 1-year protection (US$236.85). The initial aggregate direct benefit of the current vaccination program was estimated to be between 20 and 35.6 billion US dollars depending on the vaccine protection duration.