University of Denver research | Covid-19 Lotteries don’t work

University of Denver research state Covid-19 Lotteries don’t work

As expected by millions - Vaccine Lotteries showed to be unsurprisingly ineffective. Not only has this been reported by individual states, but a research from the University of Denver brought in numbers to clear up the statistics. Andrew I. Friedson, an associate professor of economics at the University of Colorado presents reasons and speculations for vaccine lottery failures. “Guaranteed outcome may be one of them”.

Apparently gambling is not up everyone’s alley - Covid-19 Vaccine Lotteries have once again been proven to be ineffective. This type of incentive was expected to drastically raise the rate of vaccinations across the United States. Unfortunately for the instigators, there are now numbers that prove money incentives simply work better. Andrew I. Friedson, an associate professor of economics at the University of Colorado suggests that the lack of a guaranteed prize may be among the explanations as to why this particular plan has flunked. 

It is understandable that the vaccine is a gamble to take, and intermixing that with a potential prize has not appealed to many individuals. Select states claim that this incentive did, in fact, raise the number of vaccinated individuals within the region. Not to forget, each state offered their own set of prizes and rewards in exchange for residents getting a jab.

Research published Friday by the University of Denver shows that 19 states that introduced lottery draws to encourage their population to take up vaccination - number of shots administered per 1,000 people, both before and after lotteries were introduced. More specifically, there is but a slight difference in vaccination rates between states with vs. without incentive lotteries.

Additionally, the research states that vaccination rates mainly depended on individual situations and surroundings (ex: status, education, wealth) rather than a state as a whole:

“Adjusting for a variety of factors, such as a region’s wealth, population, the number of COVID-19 cases, and political leanings, researchers found “no statistically significant” difference between states with and without lotteries”.

Andrew I. Friedson, associate professor of economics at the University of Colorado, back the statements with a few strong speculations. One being that incentives fall short of campaigns, and this type of promotion is an unwise way to go about promoting an agenda.

Denver is among many states who's researchers have released similar statements. Considering that prizes included million dollar payouts and more, it gives more perspective on how reluctant people still are to give into the unknown.