In a survey published by Scioto Analysis this morning, 25 economists polled unanimously agreed vaccine mandates in long term care facilities and hospitals will grow the economy.
Among those who agreed vaccine mandates would have economic benefits that outweigh the economic costs, many pointed to the evidence around effectiveness of vaccines and how they could lead to herd immunity. Others talked about how this could slow mutation of the virus which would prevent future economic disruptions and would bolster productivity. One respondent pointed to a study in the Journal of Medical Economics which found that vaccines have a high probability of reducing healthcare costs and increasing QALYs compared to doing nothing.
While all 25 respondents agreed there are net economic benefits to vaccination in long-term care and hospital settings, three were uncertain or disagreed the same was true for large companies and another three were uncertain or disagreed the same was true for schools. None of these respondents provided comments with their responses.
The Ohio Economic Experts Panel is a panel of over 40 Ohio Economists from over 30 Ohio higher educational institutions conducted by Scioto Analysis. The goal of the Ohio Economic Experts Panel is to promote better policy outcomes by providing policymakers, policy influencers, and the public with the informed opinions of Ohio’s leading economists.