Abstract
Vaccination represents a canonical example of externalities in economics, yet there are few estimates of their magnitudes. I estimate social and externality benefits of influenza vaccination in two settings. First, using a natural experiment, I estimate the impacts of aggregate vaccination rates on mortality and work absences in the United States. Second, I examine a setting with large potential externality benefits: vaccination mandates for healthcare workers. I find that the social benefits of vaccination are substantial, most of benefits operate through an externality, and the benefits of healthcare worker vaccination are particularly large.
- Received June 2019.
- Accepted July 2019.
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