Vaccination and prosociality

By combining game-theoretical models with 2014 survey data from 1,015 parents of children aged 10 years or younger, researchers found that concern for others–or prosocial behavior–was a key driver of polio vaccination in Israel during a polio resurgence in 2013, and was more likely to influence vaccination behavior than self-interest; understanding the vaccination campaign’s prosocial nature also influenced vaccination behavior, suggesting the importance of communicating health initiatives to improve outcomes.

Article #19-22746: “Prosocial polio vaccination in Israel,” by Chad R. Wells et al.

MEDIA CONTACT: Alison Galvani, Yale University, New Haven, CT; tel: 203-974-3106; email:

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