A Blog by Jonathan Low

 

Dec 29, 2020

Why It Makes Sense To Let the Rich and Powerful Cut In Line For Covid Vaccine

Because from a public health standpoint, the more people vaccinated the better. And if rich and powerful people are using influence and bribery to get the vaccine, then many others who might be skeptical about Covid and/or the vaccine who do not have power, connections or money will perceive that it has great value and that they should want it to. 

It's perverted, but it in an environment where anti-vax misinformation is rife, the best way to combat it is to create the impression that all the cool people want it so everyone should. Social media has proven that influencers work. JL

Alan Levine reports in Stat:

Leveraging the difference between price and value with creative approaches can nudge more Americans to get vaccinated and simultaneously fund the vaccination program.Have the wealthiest and most influential donate large sums to get to the front of the vaccine line. Involving influencers is essential. As influencers share their vaccinations on traditional and social media, virtually everyone unsure about getting a Covid-19 vaccine will see someone they admire getting it. The line for people wanting a Covid-19 vaccine will grow.

It’s one thing to talk about vaccinating the majority of people living in the United States to stop the Covid-19 pandemic. It’s another thing to do it — and pay for it.

Epidemiologists tell us we need 75% or more of Americans to be immune to Covid-19 to create herd immunity. Much of that immunity will come from vaccinations. Recent polls show only about 60% of Americans are willing to take the vaccine. Visualize a line of people willing to take the shots: As of now, it’s much too short.

A vaccine program will also be expensive, even though recipients are told they will get vaccinated for free. One thing I’ve learned in life is that “free” is rarely a good price for anything. Especially something of great value, like protection from a deadly disease.

Leveraging the difference between price and value with creative approaches can nudge more Americans to get vaccinated and simultaneously fund the vaccination program. I propose a citizen-led program with three basic objectives:
  • Entice a broad array of social influencers to help drive vaccination rates
  • Raise $50 billion to subsidize vaccinations
  • Provide various businesses with certainty

Influencers and paying to be vaccinated

The first two parts of the proposal are linked: Have the wealthiest and most influential Americans donate large sums of money to get to the front of the vaccine line, and use that money to fund the broader effort to vaccinate people against Covid-19. While some may donate because it is the right thing to do, I’d expect a substantial portion of the money raised to come from businesses that want greater certainty for themselves in a very uncertain world.


Donations would come from five tiers. For each tier, the mechanism is the same. People (or businesses on behalf of their people), donate money to get to the front of the Covid-19 vaccine line. There are limited available slots and getting the vaccine must be publicly documented so others can be motivated by these influential figures.

In the first tier, 100 of the wealthiest Americans each donate $100 million to be first in line for a vaccine, getting it within the first weeks of availability. This raises $10 billion.

In the second tier, 1,000 people each donate $10 million to get vaccinated within the first month. This raises another $10 billion.

You can see where this is going: The third tier requires a $1 million contribution for up to 10,000 people. The fourth, $100,000 for up to 100,000 people. The fifth and final tier requires a $25,000 donation from up to 400,000 people. Everyone participating in the program is vaccinated within the first two months of vaccine availability. The bigger the donation, the further toward the front one goes.

All told, this raises $50 billion for the cause by vaccinating just 511,000 people.

What would this $50 billion be used for, since the federal government has said it (thanks, taxpayers) is paying for the vaccines? A lot. I don’t pretend to know the optimal ways to spend this money, but I do know there are plenty of places it can help.

At the highest level, it can cover some of the government’s vaccination costs and save taxpayers some debt. But I think it will be more useful if it aids states and localities in filling voids in their vaccine distribution processes, essentially creating flexibility where it is needed. That can mean everything from better serving those in remote locations to providing information in languages other than English. It can mean funding for vaccine programs where standard channels struggle, such as for people who are homeless or undocumented. Perhaps it means paying for child care so health care workers can put in overtime, allowing people to get vaccinated more hours of the day. And for those who’ll have a tough time going to a clinic, it can pay for programs to bring the vaccine to people’s homes.

In short, it can help get past the multitude of barriers to vaccine access, big and small, that exist in the U.S.

Is this morally acceptable?

Paying to get to the front of the line might seem obscene. But with 331 million people in the United States, this donor group is just 0.17% of the population. If the program seems too aggressive, removing the lowest tier still raises $40 billion with 111,100 vaccinations, which I estimate is less than one hour’s worth of anticipated peak vaccine capacity.

This whole idea fails if it interferes with getting vaccines into the arms of the people who need it most. The program is designed to ensure a maximum delay of no more than 24 hours for anyone, anywhere, at any point. The maximum average delay is under eight hours. Having a comparatively small numbers of donors makes this work.

A lot of vaccinations can be funded with $50 billion. At about $150 per U.S. resident, the money raised from the 0.17% can cover the cost of most — perhaps all — vaccinations for Americans.

Nudging others to get vaccinated

Involving influencers is an essential part of this program, much as the federal government tapped Elvis Presley to promote the stalled 1956 polio vaccination program. As these influencers share their vaccinations on traditional and social media, virtually everyone unsure about getting a Covid-19 vaccine will see someone they admire getting it. The line for people wanting a Covid-19 vaccine will grow.

Success depends on a good sales pitch. This isn’t the logic-driven scholarly pitch that you can find on a daily basis. Instead, it is a pitch that reaches the reluctant and recalcitrant. In marketing parlance, influencers “reach people where they are.”

Nothing reinforces the idea that getting a vaccine is a good idea like someone paying big money to move up in line. Seeing people motivated to get to the front of the line creates a perception of value, which is always a useful part of a sales pitch — a phenomenon we’ve seen ranging from “Hamilton” tickets to new PlayStations.

Few things offer more actual value than a vaccine against a rampaging deadly disease. But for too many people, the perception of value is missing here. Having influencers from most every segment of society get vaccinated alters this perception and changes the game for the U.S.

5 comments:

ReeceWong said...

It is not as simple as the author writes. There are people who need control to do their tasks effectively. And there are people who can get their tasks done on time or even earlier. I work on a project https://prothesiswriter.com/ remotely, and I have no problem with productivity.

word counter said...

useful application in life, you should experience it!

Anonymous said...

Recently, my older brother joined a tech firm and needed software for business process automation. He did ask me to hunt for some decent software, but I declined to help him because I was preoccupied with my professional dissertation writers. If he hasn't already discovered the programme, it appears that I can assist him right now. I'm giving him the link to this post. I really hope it helps him.

Rodger Fedrick said...

My name is Rodger Fedrick, and I am a versatile writer and PhD candidate with a keen eye for detail and competence in a variety of fields. I work with the ability to meet deadlines and adapt to flexible writing rules, resulting in paper help publications worthy of higher scores.

Chris Hales said...

Wow, this article really opened my eyes to new possibilities for making money! I appreciate the detailed tips and actionable advice. Can't wait to put them into practice. If anyone else is interested in boosting their income, click here for more insightful articles like this

Post a Comment