Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/240387 
Year of Publication: 
2021
Series/Report no.: 
BOFIT Discussion Papers No. 9/2021
Publisher: 
Bank of Finland, Bank of Finland Institute for Emerging Economies (BOFIT), Helsinki
Abstract: 
In this study, we use random assignment of vignettes that feature optimistic and pessimistic scenarios with respect to vaccine safety and efficacy on a sample of roughly 1,600 Russians in order to gauge public support for anti-pandemic measures under various scenarios. Negative information on vaccine safety and efficacy reduces support for the anti-pandemic measures among individuals who fear Covid-19 and were initially supportive of government restrictions. These individuals tend to be old, and therefore vulnerable to Covid-19, and politically active. This loss of support is strongest for economically costly measures such as banning of large gatherings and the shuttering of non-essential businesses. Mask-wearing, which involves only minor costs, finds broad acceptance. We interpret the reactions in light of adaptation, fatigue over Covid-19 restrictions, and fatalism. The political consequences of non-pharmaceutical measures to deal with a pandemic include loss of public support over time, erosion of trust in government, and political backlash.
Subjects: 
Covid-19
vaccine
non-pharmaceutical measures
anti-pandemic restrictions
lockdown
anxiety
JEL: 
I12
I18
C93
Persistent Identifier of the first edition: 
ISBN: 
978-952-323-381-2
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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