Public Preference for Financing Preventive Vaccines in Health Shocks: The Case of COVID-19 Vaccines in a Middle-Income Country

Najmeh Moradi; Leila Zarei; Narges Hajimoladarvish; Zahra Meshkani; Marzieh Zanganeh; Jafar Babapour; Kamran Bagheri Lankarani

doi:10.1007/s41669-024-00494-7

Public Preference for Financing Preventive Vaccines in Health Shocks: The Case of COVID-19 Vaccines in a Middle-Income Country

Pharmacoecon Open. 2024 Jul;8(4):559-568. doi: 10.1007/s41669-024-00494-7. Epub 2024 May 18.

Authors

Najmeh Moradi¹, Leila Zarei², Narges Hajimoladarvish³, Zahra Meshkani⁴, Marzieh Zanganeh⁵, Jafar Babapour⁶, Kamran Bagheri Lankarani⁷

Affiliations

¹ Population Health Sciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
² Health Policy Research Center, Institute of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, No. 2, 8th floor, Zand St., PO Box 71348-45794, Shiraz, Iran. [email protected].
³ Centre for Social and Behaviour Change, Ashoka University, Delhi, India.
⁴ Department of Health Economics, School of Health Management and Information Science, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
⁵ College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Long Island University, Brookville, NY, USA.
⁶ Department of Clinical Sciences, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
⁷ Health Policy Research Center, Institute of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, No. 2, 8th floor, Zand St., PO Box 71348-45794, Shiraz, Iran.

Abstract

Background: To effectively manage health crises such as disease pandemics, health authorities require reliable information regarding people's preferences. This helps to ensure timely and targeted interventions and avoids increasing societal costs through developing evidence-based policies. This study investigates the Iranian people's preference for financing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines and the factors affecting this.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was performed during the third-wave peak of COVID-19 in Iran from 1 to 20 February 2021 utilizing various data collection methods. The public preference regarding imported and domestically produced vaccines, their willingness to fully or partially contribute to the financing of these vaccines, and their willingness to pay (WTP) for domestically produced vaccines using the contingent valuation method was assessed in different scenarios. The determinants of the probability of positive financing preferences were evaluated using an ordered probit regression model.

Results: Among the 2071 survey respondents, approximately 60% stated willingness to contribute to vaccine financing in the form of partial or full user fee payments. Forty percent of respondents are willing to be vaccinated if it is provided for free by the government. Interestingly, people's preference for financing the vaccine was not related to the type of vaccine. The regression analysis showed that income, having supplementary insurance, being male, perceived COVID-19 risk, education, and working in the health sector are significantly related to a higher probability of contribution to vaccine financing.

Conclusions: Regardless of country of origin of COVID-19 vaccines, vaccination is very important for the Iranian people, and the majority of respondents in our study showed an inclination to contribute to vaccine funding, from partial to full user fees, to achieve higher protection against COVID-19 disease. Hence, ensuring timely access to vaccines during health crises such as pandemics is imperative, as it saves lives and reduces the economic burden of disease. This commitment from the health system can be supported by financial contributions from the general public. In this regard, considering public preferences is strongly advised to policymakers.