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Discussion 6 Answer

The free-rider problem hinders herd immunity by allowing some individuals to avoid vaccines for personal reasons without bearing responsibility for increasing public health risks. There are debates around balancing the rights of those conscientiously objecting to vaccination with the duty to protect public health. Strategies discussed to address this issue include increasing vaccine education to address misconceptions, restricting community access for unvaccinated children, using incentives for healthcare providers and schools to increase vaccination rates, and promoting social norms in favor of vaccination.

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140 views2 pages

Discussion 6 Answer

The free-rider problem hinders herd immunity by allowing some individuals to avoid vaccines for personal reasons without bearing responsibility for increasing public health risks. There are debates around balancing the rights of those conscientiously objecting to vaccination with the duty to protect public health. Strategies discussed to address this issue include increasing vaccine education to address misconceptions, restricting community access for unvaccinated children, using incentives for healthcare providers and schools to increase vaccination rates, and promoting social norms in favor of vaccination.

Uploaded by

anushaverghese
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Please discuss the significance of the free-rider problem as it relates to the concept of herd

immunity. Is it possible to balance the rights of conscientious objectors to vaccination and

immunization with a duty to protect public health and safety?

In my opinion, the concept of free rider problem does hinder the concept of herd immunity for

public good. It allows free riders the choice of self-interest to avoid vaccines for various reasons.

Although, there are vaccination clinics and testing mandatory for vaccine related diseases, it

doesn’t cover the whole herd on the choice of immunization.

Firstly, it would require lot of exploration into the educational aspects of the use of vaccines to

protect the public. Secondly, exploring the misconceptions and fears of use of vaccines among

people. Thirdly, ensuring that follow up of patients who received the vaccines for any allergies

and side effects is essential.

David Ropeik (2013) discuss four conventional responses to the free rider problem participation

mandates, exclusion, incentives, and social norms. He suggests to restrict the community and

social activities of unvaccinated children, thereby reduces others’ potential exposure to disease.

In addition. Incentives work best when aimed at health care providers (through insurance

payments) or at schools, to keep vaccine exemption rates to a minimum.

Furthermore, promoting a social norm in favor of vaccination by use of creative social examples

include stickers that talk about blood donation or prompts to tweet a health behavior throughout

your social network are favorable options to promote healthy behaviors.


References:

1. Ropeik D. (2013). How society should respond to the risk of vaccine rejection. Human

vaccines & immunotherapeutics, 9(8), 1815–1818. https://doi.org/10.4161/hv.25250

2. Buttenheim, A. M., & Asch, D. A. (2013). Making vaccine refusal less of a free

ride. Human vaccines & immunotherapeutics, 9(12), 2674–2675.

https://doi.org/10.4161/hv.26676

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