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COVID-19 internet vaccination information and vaccine administration: evidence from the United States

Author

Listed:
  • Rajeev K. Goel

    (Illinois State University
    Kiel Institute for the World Economy)

  • Michael A. Nelson

    (University of Akron)

Abstract

This paper examines the impact of internet information on COVID-19 vaccination rates across U.S. states. Does greater information on the internet about COVID-19 vaccine access increase the number of vaccines administered? Does greater information about COVID-19 vaccine reliability facilitate vaccine administration? To gauge the COVID-19 related information on the world-wide-web we created two cross-state datasets using Google search. One search dealt with searching for information on vaccination availability and scheduling in each state, while the other search involved information on vaccine reliability and its side effects. The estimation results showed that greater availability of the relevant information on the internet increased vaccine administration rates, and this was true for both types of internet searches, resulting in an affirmative answer to the questions above. In contrast, the diffusion of internet access and the digital divide across states did not have a significant impact on vaccination rates. Whereas supply chain issues have garnered most of the attention in terms of the limitations of quickly vaccinating the public, our results show that internet information might be acting as a (largely unheralded) enabler.

Suggested Citation

  • Rajeev K. Goel & Michael A. Nelson, 2021. "COVID-19 internet vaccination information and vaccine administration: evidence from the United States," Journal of Economics and Finance, Springer;Academy of Economics and Finance, vol. 45(4), pages 716-734, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jecfin:v:45:y:2021:i:4:d:10.1007_s12197-021-09551-x
    DOI: 10.1007/s12197-021-09551-x
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Rajeev K. Goel & Michael A. Nelson, 2021. "Drivers of COVID-19 vaccinations: vaccine delivery and delivery efficiency in the United States," Netnomics, Springer, vol. 22(1), pages 53-69, June.
    2. Mohammad Reza Farzanegan & Mehdi Feizi & Hassan F. Gholipour, 2021. "Globalization and the Outbreak of COVID-19: An Empirical Analysis," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 14(3), pages 1-10, March.
    3. Rajeev K. Goel & Michael A. Nelson, 2014. "Whistleblower laws and exposed corruption in the United States," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 46(20), pages 2331-2341, July.
    4. Goel, Rajeev K. & Saunoris, James W. & Goel, Srishti S., 2021. "Supply chain performance and economic growth: The impact of COVID-19 disruptions," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 43(2), pages 298-316.
    5. Niklas Potrafke, 2018. "Government ideology and economic policy-making in the United States—a survey," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 174(1), pages 145-207, January.
    6. Simplice A. Asongu & Samba Diop & Joseph Nnanna, 2020. "The Geography of the Effectiveness and Consequences of Covid-19 Measures: Global Evidence," Research Africa Network Working Papers 20/054, Research Africa Network (RAN).
    7. Seungil Yum, 2020. "Social Network Analysis for Coronavirus (COVID‐19) in the United States," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 101(4), pages 1642-1647, July.
    8. Gregory Price & Eric van Holm, 2021. "The Effect of Social Distancing on the Early Spread of the Novel Coronavirus," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 102(5), pages 2331-2340, September.
    9. Rajeev K. Goel & Edward W.T. Hsieh, 2002. "Internet Growth and Economic Theory," Netnomics, Springer, vol. 4(2), pages 221-225, November.
    10. Goel, Rajeev K. & Nelson, Michael A. & Naretta, Michael A., 2012. "The internet as an indicator of corruption awareness," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 28(1), pages 64-75.
    11. A. Burcu Bayram & Todd Shields, 2021. "Who Trusts the WHO? Heuristics and Americans’ Trust in the World Health Organization During the COVID‐19 Pandemic," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 102(5), pages 2312-2330, September.
    12. Vincenzo Alfano & Salvatore Ercolano, 2020. "The Efficacy of Lockdown Against COVID-19: A Cross-Country Panel Analysis," Applied Health Economics and Health Policy, Springer, vol. 18(4), pages 509-517, August.
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    Cited by:

    1. Kattih, Nour & Mansour, Fady, 2024. "The impact of the COVID pandemic on health, healthcare utilization, and healthcare spending," Research in Economics, Elsevier, vol. 78(2).
    2. Inoue, Sanae & Fuji, Kei, 2025. "How did internet information influence COVID-19 vaccination? The cyclical influence of the internet information, beliefs, attitudes, and intentions toward vaccines from a three-wave longitudinal study," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    3. Sofia Amaral‐Garcia & Mattia Nardotto & Carol Propper & Tommaso Valletti, 2024. "Information and vaccine hesitancy: The role of broadband Internet," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 33(9), pages 1936-1948, September.
    4. Rajeev K. Goel & James R. Jones & James W. Saunoris, 2023. "Explaining vaccine hesitancy: A COVID‐19 study of the United States," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 44(2), pages 1073-1087, March.
    5. Marta Borda & Natalia Grishchenko & Patrycja Kowalczyk-Rólczyńska, 2022. "Impact of Digital Inequality on the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence from European Union Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-13, March.
    6. Rajeev K. Goel & Michael A. Nelson, 2024. "Ending COVID-19 vaccine apartheid through vaccine donations: the influence of supply chains," Journal of Economics and Finance, Springer;Academy of Economics and Finance, vol. 48(3), pages 592-613, September.
    7. Rajeev K. Goel & Michael A. Nelson, 2021. "Drivers of COVID-19 vaccinations: vaccine delivery and delivery efficiency in the United States," Netnomics, Springer, vol. 22(1), pages 53-69, June.
    8. Goel, Rajeev K. & Nelson, Michael A. & Goel, Viraat Y., 2021. "COVID-19 vaccine rollout—scale and speed carry different implications for corruption," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 43(3), pages 503-520.
    9. Lin, Zih-Ying & Lu, Jia-Wen, 2024. "The impact of COVID-19 on global investor attention," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).

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    JEL classification:

    • D11 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Consumer Economics: Theory
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health
    • K42 - Law and Economics - - Legal Procedure, the Legal System, and Illegal Behavior - - - Illegal Behavior and the Enforcement of Law

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