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Overcoming Hurdles to Herd Immunity

RAND senior physician policy researcher Mahshid Abir describes several hurdles to achieving herd immunity to COVID-19, including the politicization of the vaccine, political commentary surrounding the production and dissemination processes, as well as misinformation propagated by the anti-vaxxer movement.

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The Compensation System for Potential Side Effects Is an Important Part of a COVID-19 Vaccine Campaign
Concern about potential COVID-19 vaccine side effects and their consequences may be contributing to Americans' reluctance to get vaccinated. Policymakers and the public should carefully consider what types and levels of compensation for any adverse effects of vaccination are truly fair and appropriate.
Dec 18, 2020
Medical Mistrust Could Reduce Vaccine Uptake: Q&A with Laura Bogart
Laura Bogart, a senior behavioral scientist, studies how discrimination feeds medical mistrust and conspiracy beliefs. Her research on how mistrust became a barrier to treatment for Black Americans during the HIV epidemic sheds light on why some might question the safety of a COVID-19 vaccine.
Dec 23, 2020
A Case for Vaccinating Teachers First
Most agree that America's 18 million health care workers should top the list for COVID-19 vaccination. The 3.3 million teachers should come next. Vaccinating teachers could make it possible to open schools permanently and get parents back to work. That would help the economy recover.
Dec 19, 2020
COVID-19 'Vaccine Nationalism' Could Cost $1.2 Trillion a Year
Nationalistic behavior by governments may exclude some countries from access to COVID-19 vaccines. This could cost the world economy up to $1.2 trillion a year in GDP. A globally coordinated effort to fight the pandemic is key, not only from a public health perspective but also an economic one.
Oct 28, 2020