Mr. Falk, as an economist, you will certainly understand those who refuse to be vaccinated: They have no side effects and can still hope that Corona will disappear thanks to the willingness of others to vaccinate.

Completely rational, right?

Johannes Pennekamp

Responsible editor for economic reporting, responsible for “Die Lounge”.

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Not getting vaccinated has nothing to do with rationality, just with self-interest.

The general public has to pay for the indolence and stupidity of those who oppose the vaccination.

Anyone who does not get vaccinated even though there are no medical reasons to do so creates what we economists call negative externality.

In this case, the consequences are devastating: deaths, lockdowns, school closings, psychological damage, bankruptcies, billions in bailouts by the state.

So is vaccination an act of solidarity?

Yes, as I understand it, it is about solidarity and the common good.

When I get vaccinated, I act cooperatively.

This is because I not only protect myself, but also others, for example children and pregnant women, who cannot be vaccinated.

And whoever does not get vaccinated is a free rider?

Necessarily.

In my opinion, this is free-ridering of the worst kind and should be branded as such.

In my opinion, it's not really anything other than fare dodging, tax evasion or other forms of non-cooperation.

Sure, the individual may have an advantage for themselves, but overall this cannot be a guideline for fighting pandemics.

Economists like you have been researching free-riding for decades.

What should I do?

First, we rely on market solutions that have many advantages over government constraints and regulations.

But if we cannot trust the market because, as in the current case, externalities are not being priced in, the hour of the state strikes.

This is the classic use case for regulatory action.

What does that mean in concrete terms?

In the case of vaccination, I am in favor of an obligation to vaccinate.

The minimum would be to make access to restaurants, travel and events more difficult for non-vaccinated people.

On the one hand, that would be fair because at the moment the cooperatives are the stupid ones.

You get vaccinated;

and yet the fourth wave is already programmed.

A society that punishes cooperation, that is, that does not place those who cooperate better than those who do not, cannot function in my opinion.

On the other hand, excluding people who have not been vaccinated would also create sensible incentives to get vaccinated.

These are strong interventions that you demand.

Not everyone has the right to have their body untouched - after all, my body is mine!

I also don't understand why the corona vaccination should be such an extraordinary thing.

Even today our society is not free from constraints.

There are already compulsory vaccinations, for example for babies.

This is a compulsion that is simply accepted.

Why is that so in that case?