Working Paper: NBER ID: w27982
Authors: Joshua S. Graff Zivin; Matthew J. Neidell; Nicholas J. Sanders; Gregor Singer
Abstract: Influenza and air pollution each pose significant health risks with global economic consequences. Their shared etiological pathways present a case of compounding health risk via interacting externalities. Using instrumental variables based on changing wind direction, we show increased levels of contemporaneous pollution increase influenza hospitalizations. We exploit random variation in effectiveness of the influenza vaccine as an additional instrument to show vaccine protection neutralizes this relationship. Thus, pollution control and vaccination campaigns jointly provide greater returns than those implied by addressing either in isolation. We show the importance of this consideration in addressing observed gaps in influenza incidence by race.
Keywords: Influenza; Air Pollution; Vaccination; Public Health; Externalities
JEL Codes: H23; I12; Q53
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Air Pollution (Q53) | Vaccination (I19) |
| Air Pollution (Q53) | Influenza Hospitalizations (I19) |
| Vaccination (I19) | Influenza Hospitalizations (due to Air Pollution) (I12) |