Demand for pneumococcal vaccination under subsidy program for the elderly in Japan

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Economics
• Vaccinology

Background:

• Vaccination programs utilize subsidies and public relations to boost uptake.
• The impact of these strategies on vaccination demand remains under-researched.
• This study examines pneumococcal vaccination demand in Japan's elderly population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To estimate the demand function for pneumococcal vaccination among the elderly in Japan.
• To analyze the influence of subsidies and public relations on vaccination uptake rates.

Main Methods:

• Employed varying and constant elasticity models using municipal questionnaire data.
• Uptake rate was the response variable; price, program duration, population size, location intensity, income, and PR tools were explanatory variables.
• Model selection was based on c-AIC, with price elasticities calculated from estimation results.

Main Results:

• A negative relationship was observed between vaccine uptake rate and shot price.
• Vaccine demand was found to be elastic at prices exceeding 3,708 JPY (35.7 USD).
• Public relations initiatives showed no statistically significant effect on vaccination uptake.

Conclusions:

• Municipalities with prices above 3,708 JPY should consider further subsidies to increase demand.
• The lack of confirmed public relations impact may stem from measurement errors; micro-level studies are recommended.
• Further research should focus on individual responses to public relations for vaccination programs.