Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/227163 
Year of Publication: 
2020
Series/Report no.: 
IZA Discussion Papers No. 13636
Publisher: 
Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), Bonn
Abstract: 
We study the role of media reporting of alleged adverse effects of influenza vaccination on adults' (aged 50 or more) decisions to vaccinate against the flu. We exploit the diffusion of news linking suspected deaths to the vaccine, during the 2014 vaccination campaign in Italy. Using daily variation in news items across the 2014 campaign and the previous year campaign, unaffected by media cases, we show that media reporting decreases flu vaccination by about 2.5% (78 fewer vaccinations per day). The effect, however, is short-lived, as it fades away after approximately 10 days from the news outbreak.
Subjects: 
influenza
vaccination
mass media
JEL: 
I12
I18
J10
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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