Abstract Introduction Misinformation is a major public health threat, as it leads to unnecessary illnesses, deaths, and costs to society. In 2021, misinformation was rampant for COVID-19 vaccines, where a large portion of the US population believed in vaccine misinformation and refused vaccination. Methods This study utilized a microsimulation model of COVID-19 vaccination, cases, hospitalizations, and deaths to estimate the cost of vaccine hesitancy that was fueled by misinformation in the US. The analysis compares a baseline model with scenarios where misinformation was removed. Results Misinformation was estimated to contribute to nearly 2. 3 (2. 04-2. 5) million cases and 66, 000 (59, 300-72, 500) hospitalizations in 2021. Misinformation resulted in 2 (1. 79-2. 33) billion in extra costs of hospitalization and 45, 000 (40, 800-50, 000) avertable deaths. Misinformation on vaccine hesitancy cost up to 229 (226-231) million in California, 173 (171-175) million in Texas, 171 (169-173) million in Florida, and 144 (143-146) million in New York in 2021. Montana, Nevada, Colorado, Arizona, Wyoming, New Mexico, and Alaska faced the highest (10-14) per person costs of misinformation. Conclusions While the COVID-19 pandemic has subsided, misinformation remains. Combating misinformation on a large scale and building trust in institutions and science is essential to prevent unnecessary costs and improve population health.
Higgins et al. (Sat,) studied this question.
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