Should people be rewarded for getting the coronavirus vaccine?Experts torn-nationwide

Health Canada officially approves Pfizer Coronavirus vaccine Wednesday, and the first vaccination may start as early as next week.

The vaccine is given a green light, but that doesn’t mean that everyone wants to get it.

According to an Ipsos poll conducted on Global News from October 23 to 26, only 54% of Canadians are willing to vaccinate as soon as possible.

It’s not just Canada. Pollsters from the south of the border say that the majority of Americans are uncomfortable with getting the coronavirus vaccine first, and that a significant minority will take over the vaccination. .. According to Pew Research..

Some economists create herd immunity (the percentage of the population that needs vaccination to reach widespread immunity), triggered by vaccine hesitation, and as the number of coronaviruses continues to grow and overwhelm hospitals. Suggested a useful solution for: Paying Corona virus vaccinated person.

3:29Tim Colefield warns that false information on COVID-19 has a direct impact on vaccination hesitation

The idea first emerged in August by economist Robert Tritan, a non-resident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. I wrote about incentives To get more people vaccinated, pay US $ 1,000 each time.

He called it an “adult” version of a doctor giving out candy to children.

However, this plan could cost Americans about $ 275 billion. And in Canada, he said, the cost would be about $ 30 billion.

“But it could save lives and much of it will be regained as the economy is up and running again,” Ritan told Global News.

How to use

It is still unclear what percentage of the population needs to be vaccinated to obtain herd immunity. COVID-19 (new coronavirus infection) (# If there is no character limit, add parentheses when it first appears.. Some experts said that about 60 to 70 percent of the country needs to be shot, depending on the efficiency of the vaccine.

Ritan said the 70 percent figure would change depending on the efficiency of the vaccine. In his example, he used an immunization rate of 80%, given that many vaccines could be used.

“We all want to get rid of masks and social distances and completely revive our business. So how do 50% to 60% of the population vaccinated up to 80%? Will we raise these numbers? “

He said there are several ways to do this. Countries can use public education campaigns to shoot politicians and celebrities to show their security. There is also the idea of ​​making it mandatory.

However, many countries like Canada have repeatedly stated that they have no plans to mandate vaccines.

Litan argued that paying people to get the vaccine was a “plan B” idea if everything else failed.

He said it was a “one-time” payment and that person could only receive it if both shots were taken (in the case of the Pfizer vaccine).

“I chose a price of $ 1,000 from the air. $ 100 didn’t seem to be enough to convince anyone who didn’t want to get a shot to get vaccinated. But for a family of four, It will be $ 4,000. “

Asked about the multi-billion dollar costs associated with the plan, Ritan says “the costs are worth it,” especially for countries like Canada that already have huge debt for the pandemic. I did.

8:56Canada is far from herd immunity to coronavirus as the second wave surges: Tam

“If the coronavirus continues for years because it has not reached herd immunity, the economy will not return to normal … you have been active for a long time at the next best level. This is a quick way to return to full employment. And you can even partially pay for it on its own. “

Financial incentives have also been raised in the UK, and after regulators approved the Pfizer vaccine last week, the general public began vaccination with the Pfizer vaccine.

Julian Savlesk, a professor at the Center for Practical Ethics at Oxford University, considers a “pay for risk” approach to encourage the government to take COVID-19 shots when the population becomes available. Insisted that it was necessary. Informed selection.

In an article in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), “Anti-vaccinated people may not be confident that they will change their position, but by encouraging vaccination, others who may not have done so. May be persuaded. “

“The advantage of paying for risk is that people choose to take the risk voluntarily. As long as they can accurately communicate the risks and benefits of a vaccine, it is up to the individual to decide whether or not it is worth the payment. Is the responsibility of. “

Criticism of financial incentives

However, other experts have strongly warned against providing financial incentives.

“Paying for people to be vaccinated will set a very dangerous precedent,” said Keith Neil, an emeritus professor of infectious disease epidemiology at the University of Nottingham. Told Reuters..

“Social media falsehood will have Field Day suggesting that if you have to pay to get it, it’s not safe.”

Ana Santos Rutschman, a professor at the Center for Health Law Research at St. Louis University, agreed.

She argued that if the government started paying people to get the COVID-19 vaccine, social media could turn the message around and “arm it”.

“People may say:” By the way, this is so bad that the government has to pay us to take it. You really shouldn’t be vaccinated. “Anti-bakers are very noisy on social media and you can use this message to do the opposite of what you want to achieve,” she said.

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Another concern, Rutschman said, is that the idea is “paternalistic” in nature and that low-income people who are disproportionately black or Hispanic in the United States can easily be persuaded with money. He said it was.

She added that financial incentives would not change the minds of “anti-vaxxers”, and public education approaches like vaccinated celebrities and politicians are the best way to go.

How about in Canada?

Global News has contacted several states and federal governments regarding the combination of financial incentives and the COVID-19 vaccine.

“Once licensed, all Canadians will have free access to safe and effective vaccines, starting with the most vulnerable,” said Patty Haidu, a spokesperson for federal health minister.

In Manitoba, which has the highest number of cases in the country, a spokeswoman told Global News that it was “not considered at this time.”

In Alberta, which has just announced that the state will wipe out new regulations to slow the spread of the virus, a spokesman said: Vaccination is highly recommended once it is available to everyone in Alberta. “

1:36The story of the coronavirus “immunity passport” in Ontario

Will it work?

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