When externalities collide: influenza and pollution

Zivin, Joshua Graff, Neidell, Matthew, Sanders, Nicholas and Singer, Gregor (2021) When externalities collide: influenza and pollution. Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment Working Paper, 364. Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, London School of Economics and Political Science, London, UK.

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Abstract

Influenza and air pollution each pose significant public health risks with large global economic consequences. The common pathways through which each harms health presents an interesting case of compounding risk via interacting externalities. Using instrumental variables based on changing wind directions, we show increased levels of contemporaneous pollution significantly increase influenza hospitalizations. We exploit random variations in the effectiveness of the influenza vaccine as an additional instrument to show vaccine protection neutralizes this relationship. This suggests seemingly disparate policy actions of pollution control and vaccination campaigns jointly provide greater returns than those implied by addressing either in isolation.

Item Type:	Monograph (Working Paper)
Official URL:	https://www.lse.ac.uk/granthaminstitute/publicatio...
Additional Information:	© 2021 The Authors
Divisions:	Grantham Research Institute
Subjects:	R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine
JEL classification:	Q - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics > Q5 - Environmental Economics > Q53 - Air Pollution; Water Pollution; Noise; Hazardous Waste; Solid Waste; Recycling I - Health, Education, and Welfare > I1 - Health > I12 - Health Production: Nutrition, Mortality, Morbidity, Suicide, Substance Abuse and Addiction, Disability, and Economic Behavior I - Health, Education, and Welfare > I1 - Health > I11 - Analysis of Health Care Markets
Date Deposited:	01 Jul 2021 10:45
Last Modified:	15 Sep 2023 23:54
URI:	http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/110964

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