Assessing the Effect of the U.S. Vaccination Program on the Coronavirus Positivity Rate With a Multivariate Framework

Abstract The factors influencing the incidence of COVID‐19, including the impact of the vaccination programs, have been studied in the literature. Most studies focus on one or two factors, without considering their interactions, which is not enough to assess a vaccination program in a statistically...

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Main Authors: A. Sanchez‐Vargas, J. Mendez‐Astudillo, Y. López‐Vidal, D. López‐Carr, F. Estrada
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: American Geophysical Union (AGU) 2023-06-01
Series:GeoHealth
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1029/2022GH000771
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author A. Sanchez‐Vargas
J. Mendez‐Astudillo
Y. López‐Vidal
D. López‐Carr
F. Estrada
author_facet A. Sanchez‐Vargas
J. Mendez‐Astudillo
Y. López‐Vidal
D. López‐Carr
F. Estrada
author_sort A. Sanchez‐Vargas
collection DOAJ
description Abstract The factors influencing the incidence of COVID‐19, including the impact of the vaccination programs, have been studied in the literature. Most studies focus on one or two factors, without considering their interactions, which is not enough to assess a vaccination program in a statistically robust manner. We examine the impact of the U.S. vaccination program on the SARS‐CoV‐2 positivity rate while simultaneously considering a large number of factors involved in the spread of the virus and the feedbacks among them. We consider the effects of the following sets of factors: socioeconomic factors, public policy factors, environmental factors, and non‐observable factors. A time series Error Correction Model (ECM) was used to estimate the impact of the vaccination program at the national level on the positivity rate. Additionally, state‐level ECMs with panel data were combined with machine learning techniques to assess the impact of the program and identify relevant factors to build the best‐fitting models. We find that the vaccination program reduced the virus positivity rate. However, the program was partially undermined by a feedback loop in which increased vaccination led to increased mobility. Although some external factors reduced the positivity rate, the emergence of new variants increased the positivity rate. The positivity rate was associated with several forces acting simultaneously in opposite directions such as the number of vaccine doses administered and mobility. The existence of complex interactions, between the factors studied, implies that there is a need to combine different public policies to strengthen the impact of the vaccination program.
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spelling doaj.art-59066d6761e444f29c9da79b78024a0d2023-06-28T00:02:29ZengAmerican Geophysical Union (AGU)GeoHealth2471-14032023-06-0176n/an/a10.1029/2022GH000771Assessing the Effect of the U.S. Vaccination Program on the Coronavirus Positivity Rate With a Multivariate FrameworkA. Sanchez‐Vargas0J. Mendez‐Astudillo1Y. López‐Vidal2D. López‐Carr3F. Estrada4Institute of Economic Research National Autonomous University of Mexico Mexico City MexicoInstitute of Economic Research National Autonomous University of Mexico Mexico City MexicoPrograma de Inmunología Molecular Microbiana Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología Faculty of Medicine National Autonomous University of Mexico Mexico City MexicoDepartment of Geography University of California, Santa Barbara Santa Barbara CA USAInstituto de Ciencias de la Atmósfera y Cambio Climático National Autonomous University of Mexico Mexico City MexicoAbstract The factors influencing the incidence of COVID‐19, including the impact of the vaccination programs, have been studied in the literature. Most studies focus on one or two factors, without considering their interactions, which is not enough to assess a vaccination program in a statistically robust manner. We examine the impact of the U.S. vaccination program on the SARS‐CoV‐2 positivity rate while simultaneously considering a large number of factors involved in the spread of the virus and the feedbacks among them. We consider the effects of the following sets of factors: socioeconomic factors, public policy factors, environmental factors, and non‐observable factors. A time series Error Correction Model (ECM) was used to estimate the impact of the vaccination program at the national level on the positivity rate. Additionally, state‐level ECMs with panel data were combined with machine learning techniques to assess the impact of the program and identify relevant factors to build the best‐fitting models. We find that the vaccination program reduced the virus positivity rate. However, the program was partially undermined by a feedback loop in which increased vaccination led to increased mobility. Although some external factors reduced the positivity rate, the emergence of new variants increased the positivity rate. The positivity rate was associated with several forces acting simultaneously in opposite directions such as the number of vaccine doses administered and mobility. The existence of complex interactions, between the factors studied, implies that there is a need to combine different public policies to strengthen the impact of the vaccination program.https://doi.org/10.1029/2022GH000771factors feedback and simultaneityU.S. vaccination programcomplex relationshipserror correction modelsmachine learningtime series and panel data
spellingShingle A. Sanchez‐Vargas
J. Mendez‐Astudillo
Y. López‐Vidal
D. López‐Carr
F. Estrada
Assessing the Effect of the U.S. Vaccination Program on the Coronavirus Positivity Rate With a Multivariate Framework
GeoHealth
factors feedback and simultaneity
U.S. vaccination program
complex relationships
error correction models
machine learning
time series and panel data
title Assessing the Effect of the U.S. Vaccination Program on the Coronavirus Positivity Rate With a Multivariate Framework
title_full Assessing the Effect of the U.S. Vaccination Program on the Coronavirus Positivity Rate With a Multivariate Framework
title_fullStr Assessing the Effect of the U.S. Vaccination Program on the Coronavirus Positivity Rate With a Multivariate Framework
title_full_unstemmed Assessing the Effect of the U.S. Vaccination Program on the Coronavirus Positivity Rate With a Multivariate Framework
title_short Assessing the Effect of the U.S. Vaccination Program on the Coronavirus Positivity Rate With a Multivariate Framework
title_sort assessing the effect of the u s vaccination program on the coronavirus positivity rate with a multivariate framework
topic factors feedback and simultaneity
U.S. vaccination program
complex relationships
error correction models
machine learning
time series and panel data
url https://doi.org/10.1029/2022GH000771
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