Working Paper: NBER ID: w27382
Authors: Jules H. van Binsbergen; Christian C. Opp
Abstract: We analyze the effectiveness of preventive investments aimed at increasing agents' life expectancy, with a focus on influenza and COVID-19 mitigation. Maximizing overall life expectancy requires allocating resources across hazards so as to equalize investments' marginal effectiveness. Based on estimates for the marginal effectiveness of influenza vaccines, we determine the level of COVID-19 mitigation investments that would imply such equalization. Given current projections for COVID-19 mitigation costs, our results suggest that wide-spread influenza vaccination would be an effective life-preserving investment.
Keywords: COVID-19; influenza; life expectancy; vaccination; public health
JEL Codes: G31; H51; I1; I18
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| influenza vaccination rates (I14) | life years saved (J17) |
| COVID-19 mitigation investments (H54) | expected life years saved (J17) |
| marginal effectiveness of COVID-19 mitigation investments (D61) | life expectancy (J17) |
| influenza vaccination effectiveness (I13) | life expectancy (J17) |