A recently published study, conducted during the height of the Zaire ebolavirus epidemic in Western Africa by George Mason University researchers has found that 59.6% of Americans would be willing to pay at least $1 to be vaccinated for Ebola virus, despite being at incredibly low risk for infection. One wonders if protection from this miniscule risk would even outweigh the side effects of a potential vaccine, but it seems that media sensationalism and panic play a larger role in the medical decisions of the American public than such measures.
The study was part of a larger effort to quantify potential demand for an Ebola vaccine worldwide. Despite the (perhaps dubious) validity of the American public’s views on the matter, this number is promising for those in areas actually at risk for another Ebola outbreak. They indicate that if push comes to shove, Americans are likely willing to foot the bill to make up the development costs of a protective vaccine in these areas. That’s probably good news, regardless of the motives.
-J. Cole Holderman
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