Why cash incentives and lotteries for covid-19 vaccinations failed

When covid-19 vaccines were first rolled out in the US, government officials and corporations spent months using various tactics to convince the hesitant, from paying them to get their shot to giving them free donuts.

The number of unvaccinated adults in the US, which stands at around 80.2 million despite wide vaccine availability, was already evidence of the limited success of these kinds of measures. Now research confirms it. A couple of papers published in recent days found that neither cash payments nor lottery tickets moved vaccine-reticent Americans to get the jab.

The pandemic presented an unprecedented opportunity for behavioral economists to test what they call “nudging”, or setting up choices so it’s easier for people do the right thing. For example, putting fruit instead of junk food at eye level increases the chances of someone reaching out for an apple instead of a candy bar. That approach has worked in the past—including to boost flu vaccination rates. But the degree of political polarization and disinformation swirling around vaccines calls for more forceful policies, such as mandates, the research suggests.

Read the rest of this story on qz.com. Become a member to get unlimited access to Quartz’s journalism.