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  5. Experimental Evidence on the Effectiveness of Non-Experts for Improving Vaccine Demand

Experimental Evidence on the Effectiveness of Non-Experts for Improving Vaccine Demand

  • Marcella Alsan
  • Sarah Eichmeyer
American Economic Journal: Economic Policy (Forthcoming)

Abstract

We experimentally vary signals and senders to identify which combination will increase vaccine demand among a disadvantaged population in the United States—Black and White men without a college education. Our main finding is that laypeople (non-expert concordant senders) are most effective at promoting vaccination, particularly among those least willing to become vaccinated. This finding points to a trade-off between the higher qualifications of experts on the one hand, but lower social proximity to low socioeconomic status populations on the other hand, which may undermine credibility in settings of low trust.

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