By Dr. Chinta SidharthanApr 11 2024Reviewed by Susha Cheriyedath, M.Sc. In a recent study published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases, a team of researchers from the United States attempted to understand whether individuals experienced any economic benefits in getting an annual coronavirus disease 2019 vaccine, given that the morbidity and mortality rates associated with the disease have decreased and the government no longer covers the vaccine costs.
With the drop in hospitalization and mortality rates, COVID-19 is no longer considered a significant public health risk, leading to a substantial decrease in vaccination rates across the U.S. Furthermore, employment organizations and businesses are no longer mandating booster COVID-19 vaccination shots. With the government no longer funding the cost of the vaccine, individuals have to pay for the COVID-19 booster shots either out-of-pocket or through their insurance.
The state at which an individual begins is the state of no infection with pre-existing protection from previous vaccinations or infections. Based on factors such as risk of infection, probability of clinical outcomes based on age, and pre-existing protection levels, the model calculates the probability of an individual moving to a COVID-19 state.