Countries That Have Experienced Crises Vaccinate Faster against Covid-19

Countries with crisis experience were more resolute in ordering Covid-19 vaccines and have been quicker in their vaccination rollouts. This is shown by a new study presented in ifo Schnelldienst. “These results show that countries that have weathered crises placed orders for vaccine sooner and thus administered more doses in the winter of 2021 than countries with less crisis experience ,” says Niklas Potrafke, co-author of the study and Director of the ifo Center for Public Finance and Political Economy.

Despite great uncertainty in the summer of 2020 about the potential effectiveness of Covid-19 vaccines, countries with more crisis experience were more resolute when it came to ordering vaccines and preparing vaccination campaigns. The past crises to which this experience relates include wars, epidemics, and natural disasters. “Israel is the prime example of this mechanism. With a great deal of crisis experience under its belt, Israel vaccinated its population faster than any other country in the first months of the vaccination campaign,” Potrafke says. The study examines the 37 OECD countries.

Experience with crises also affects people’s personal attitudes toward Covid-19 vaccination. “People who experienced a crisis in their country when they were young, i.e. between the ages of 18 and 25, are more likely to want to be vaccinated against Covid-19,” Potrafke says.

The results of the study control for country-specific differences, such as the severity of the Covid-19 pandemic, economic power, or health care spending. They also take into account different personal characteristics such as age, gender, or income.