Explaining Vaccine Hesitancy: A COVID-19 Study of the United States
25 Pages Posted: 21 Apr 2022
Date Written: 2022
Abstract
Using recent data on the unvaccinated across U.S. states, this paper focuses on the determinants of vaccine hesitancy related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Results show that more prosperous states and states with more elderly and physicians have lower vaccine hesitancy. There was some evidence of the significance of race, but internet access and history of other contagious diseases failed to make a difference. States with centralized health systems and those with mask mandates generally had a lower percentage of unvaccinated populations. Finally, the presence of Democrats in state legislatures tended to result in lower vaccination hesitancies, ceteris paribus.
Note:
Funding Information: Goel appreciates research support from the Katie School
of Insurance.
Conflict of Interests: The authors declare that they have no relevant or material financial interests that relate to the research described in this paper.
Keywords: Covid-19, vaccination, vaccine hesitancy, pandemic, government, elderly, race religion, politics, United States
JEL Classification: D110, I180, K420
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation