Free vaccines and lost privileges

Abstract

Governments are resorting to incentives to put the COVID-19 pandemic behind them. Using Canada as a case study, this paper discusses how governments have used positive and negative incentives to increase vaccination rates, which is key to minimizing the public health risks and restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. This analysis sheds light on salient issues regarding the power and limitations of behavioral incentives, especially in the context of broader social and political challenges.