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Estimate: US city-level COVID indoor vaccine mandates had uneven, marginal effects
News brief
24 minutes ago.
Mary Van Beusekom, MS
Topics
COVID-19
An analysis published in Contemporary Economic Policy suggests that COVID-19 indoor vaccine mandates in major US cities didn't increase weekly vaccination rates or reduce infections and deaths in adults or children, despite their success in countries such as Canada and France.
The authors, led by a Clemson University researcher, estimated the effect of mandates in nine major US cities on first-dose COVID-19 vaccine uptake, cases, and deaths. The included cities—New York City, San Francisco, New Orleans, Seattle, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago, and Washington DC—issued indoor vaccine requirements in 2021 and 2022.
“Governments implemented a wide range of policies during the COVID-19 pandemic to encourage vaccination and reduce disease spread, including public information campaigns, monetary incentives, and various forms of vaccine mandates,” they wrote. “Among the most restrictive and controversial of these were indoor vaccine mandates, which required proof of vaccination to enter public indoor venues such as restaurants, bars, gyms, and theaters.”
City-level mandates easy to skirt
While vaccine mandates appeared to be effective in some cities, no consistent pattern of significant effects was identified. “Even when point estimates appear sizeable… the confidence intervals are wide and include both meaningful increases and decreases,” the authors wrote.
Our findings don’t suggest that mandates can’t work—only that their effectiveness depends on timing, context, and how easily people can sidestep local restrictions.
Elijah Neilson, PhD
They said that city-level mandates—unlike those at country and state levels, which are difficult to avoid—may have had limited effects because unvaccinated people can skirt restrictions by traveling to nearby jurisdictions.
“The contrast with international findings suggests localized mandates may be less effective in settings with high baseline coverage, mobility across jurisdictions, and vaccine hesitancy,” as in the United States, the researchers wrote.
In a Wiley news release, corresponding author Elijah Neilson, PhD, of Southern Utah University, said, “By the time most cities introduced indoor vaccine mandates, vaccination rates were already high, and many unvaccinated individuals were deeply hesitant or resistant, leaving limited room for further gains.”
“Our findings don’t suggest that mandates can’t work—only that their effectiveness depends on timing, context, and how easily people can sidestep local restrictions,” he added.
Ethiopia’s Marburg death toll rises to 5
News brief
30 minutes ago.
Stephanie Soucheray, MA
Topics
Marburg
Viral Hemorrhagic Fever
At least five people are dead in a Marburg virus outbreak with 10 confirmed cases in Ethiopia. The country reported its first Marburg outbreak last week.
According to media reports, there may be an additional three deaths not yet lab confirmed associated with this outbreak. Marburg, a filovirus, is related to Ebola but has no vaccine or treatment. Outbreaks often have high fatality rates, and the virus is typically transmitted to people from fruit bats.
Late last week the World Health Organization (WHO) said the source of the outbreak has not yet been identified
“Ethiopia is facing concurrent emergencies and multiple disease outbreaks, including of cholera, measles, dengue, which results in stretched health capacity,” the WHO said.
ALL BRIEFS
Estimate: US city-level COVID indoor vaccine mandates had uneven, marginal effects
News brief
24 minutes ago.
Mary Van Beusekom, MS
Topics
COVID-19
An analysis published in Contemporary Economic Policy suggests that COVID-19 indoor vaccine mandates in major US cities didn't increase weekly vaccination rates or reduce infections and deaths in adults or children, despite their success in countries such as Canada and France.
The authors, led by a Clemson University researcher, estimated the effect of mandates in nine major US cities on first-dose COVID-19 vaccine uptake, cases, and deaths. The included cities—New York City, San Francisco, New Orleans, Seattle, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago, and Washington DC—issued indoor vaccine requirements in 2021 and 2022.
“Governments implemented a wide range of policies during the COVID-19 pandemic to encourage vaccination and reduce disease spread, including public information campaigns, monetary incentives, and various forms of vaccine mandates,” they wrote. “Among the most restrictive and controversial of these were indoor vaccine mandates, which required proof of vaccination to enter public indoor venues such as restaurants, bars, gyms, and theaters.”
City-level mandates easy to skirt
While vaccine mandates appeared to be effective in some cities, no consistent pattern of significant effects was identified. “Even when point estimates appear sizeable… the confidence intervals are wide and include both meaningful increases and decreases,” the authors wrote.
Our findings don’t suggest that mandates can’t work—only that their effectiveness depends on timing, context, and how easily people can sidestep local restrictions.
Elijah Neilson, PhD
They said that city-level mandates—unlike those at country and state levels, which are difficult to avoid—may have had limited effects because unvaccinated people can skirt restrictions by traveling to nearby jurisdictions.
“The contrast with international findings suggests localized mandates may be less effective in settings with high baseline coverage, mobility across jurisdictions, and vaccine hesitancy,” as in the United States, the researchers wrote.
In a Wiley news release, corresponding author Elijah Neilson, PhD, of Southern Utah University, said, “By the time most cities introduced indoor vaccine mandates, vaccination rates were already high, and many unvaccinated individuals were deeply hesitant or resistant, leaving limited room for further gains.”
“Our findings don’t suggest that mandates can’t work—only that their effectiveness depends on timing, context, and how easily people can sidestep local restrictions,” he added.
Ethiopia’s Marburg death toll rises to 5
News brief
30 minutes ago.
Stephanie Soucheray, MA
Topics
Marburg
Viral Hemorrhagic Fever
At least five people are dead in a Marburg virus outbreak with 10 confirmed cases in Ethiopia. The country reported its first Marburg outbreak last week.
According to media reports, there may be an additional three deaths not yet lab confirmed associated with this outbreak. Marburg, a filovirus, is related to Ebola but has no vaccine or treatment. Outbreaks often have high fatality rates, and the virus is typically transmitted to people from fruit bats.
Late last week the World Health Organization (WHO) said the source of the outbreak has not yet been identified
“Ethiopia is facing concurrent emergencies and multiple disease outbreaks, including of cholera, measles, dengue, which results in stretched health capacity,” the WHO said.
ALL BRIEFS