TY - JOUR
T1 - Subsidies for influenza vaccination, vaccination rates, and health outcomes among the elderly in Japan
AU - Ibuka, Yoko
AU - Bessho, Shun Ichiro
N1 - Funding Information:
We are grateful for comments by Dr Shigeki Kano, participants of the seminars at the National Institute of Population and Social Security as well as at the Kansai Public Economics Workshop, and participants of the session at the 2012 International Health Economics Association conference. Financial support in form of a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C) (# 22530304 ) for Bessho, and a Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up (# 23830025 ) for Ibuka by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science is gratefully acknowledged. Ibuka receives a research grant from the Japan Center for Economic Research .
Publisher Copyright:
© 2015 Elsevier B.V.
PY - 2015/11/1
Y1 - 2015/11/1
N2 - Vaccination against infectious diseases produces externalities, and providing subsidies is one way of internalizing the externality. The effect of subsidies as a policy tool depends on individual's response to the cost of vaccine. However, there have been few studies on the effects of vaccine costs on vaccination uptake. Using regional variations in vaccination subsidy amount within Japan's current immunization program, we examined the impact of subsidies for the cost of influenza vaccine on the vaccination rates and on two health outcome measures. Our results show that an increase in the subsidy amount by 1,000 yen (10 USD) leads to a one percentage point increase in the vaccination rate among the elderly, suggesting that vaccination rate is responsive to the costs of vaccination. On the other hand, we found no substantial effects on health outcomes.
AB - Vaccination against infectious diseases produces externalities, and providing subsidies is one way of internalizing the externality. The effect of subsidies as a policy tool depends on individual's response to the cost of vaccine. However, there have been few studies on the effects of vaccine costs on vaccination uptake. Using regional variations in vaccination subsidy amount within Japan's current immunization program, we examined the impact of subsidies for the cost of influenza vaccine on the vaccination rates and on two health outcome measures. Our results show that an increase in the subsidy amount by 1,000 yen (10 USD) leads to a one percentage point increase in the vaccination rate among the elderly, suggesting that vaccination rate is responsive to the costs of vaccination. On the other hand, we found no substantial effects on health outcomes.
KW - Demand
KW - Health production
KW - Healthcare decision
KW - Policy evaluation
KW - Preventive care
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U2 - 10.1016/j.japwor.2015.07.001
DO - 10.1016/j.japwor.2015.07.001
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84940062389
SN - 0922-1425
VL - 36
SP - 56
EP - 66
JO - Japan and the World Economy
JF - Japan and the World Economy
ER -
