The Role of Risk Preferences in Responses to Messaging About COVID-19 Vaccine Take-Up

Development of an effective COVID-19 vaccine is widely considered as one the best paths to ending current health crisis. While ability distribute a in short-term remains uncertain, availability alone will not be sufficient stop disease spread. Instead, policy makers need overcome additional hurdle rapid widespread adoption. In large-scale nationally representative survey ( N = 34,200), work identifies monetary risk preferences correlate take-up anticipated vaccine. A complementary experiment 1,003) leverages this insight create messaging encouraging take-up. Individual differences moderate responses that provides benchmarks for efficacy (by comparing it flu vaccine), while describes pro-social benefits vaccination (specifically herd immunity) speeds irrespective preferences. Findings suggest should consider when targeting vaccine-related communications.