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When outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles occur despite highly effective vaccines being available, its easy to conclude that parents who dont vaccinate their children are misguided, selfish, or have fallen prey to misinformation. As professors with expertise in vaccine policy and health economics, we argue that the decision not to vaccinate isnt simply about misinformation or hesitancy. In our view, it involves game theory, a mathematical framework that helps explain how reasonable people can make choices that collectively lead to outcomes that endanger them. Game theory reveals that vaccine hesitancy is not a moral failure, but simply the predictable outcome of a system in which individual and collective incentives arent properly aligned. Game theory meets vaccines Game theory examines how people make decisions when their outcomes depend on what others choose. In his research on the topic, Nobel Prize-winning mathematician John Nash, portrayed in the movie A Beautiful Mind, showed that in many situations, individually rational choices dont automatically create the best outcome for everyone. Vaccination decisions perfectly illustrate this principle. When a parent decides whether to vaccinate their child against measles, for instance, they weigh the small risk of vaccine side effects against the risks posed by the disease. But heres the crucial insight: The risk of disease depends on what other parents decide. If nearly everyone vaccinates, herd immunityessentially, vaccinating enough peoplewill stop the diseases spread. But once herd immunity is achieved, individual parents may decide that not vaccinating is the less risky option for their kid. In other words, because of a fundamental tension between individual choice and collective welfare, relying solely on individual choice may not achieve public health goals. This makes vaccine decisions fundamentally different from most other health decisions. When you decide whether to take medication for high blood pressure, your outcome depends only on your choice. But with vaccines, everyone is connected. This interconnectedness has played out dramatically in Texas, where the largest U.S. measles outbreak in a decade originated. As vaccination rates dropped in certain communities, the diseaseonce declared eliminated in the U.S.returned. One countys vaccination rate fell from 96% to 81% over just five years. Considering that about 95% of people in a community must be vaccinated to achieve herd immunity, the decline created perfect conditions for the current outbreak. This isnt coincidence; its game theory playing out in real time. When vaccination rates are high, not vaccinating seems rational for each individual family, but when enough families make this choice, collective protection collapses. The free-rider problem This dynamic creates what economists call a free-rider problem. When vaccination rates are high, an individual might benefit from herd immunity without accepting even the minimal vaccine risks. Game theory predicts something surprising: Even with a hypothetically perfect vaccinefaultless efficacy, zero side effectsvoluntary vaccination programs will never achieve 100% coverage. Once coverage is high enough, some rational individuals will always choose to be free riders, benefiting from the herd immunity provided by others. And when rates drop, as they have, dramatically, over the past five years, disease models predict exactly what were seeing: the return of outbreaks. Game theory reveals another pattern: For highly contagious diseases, vaccination rates tend to decline rapidly following safety concerns, while recovery occurs much more slowly. This, too, is a mathematical property of the system because decline and recovery have different incentive structures. When safety concerns arise, many parents get worried at the same time and stop vaccinating, causing vaccination rates to drop quickly. But recovery is slower because it requires both rebuilding trust and overcoming the free-rider problemeach parent waits for others to vaccinate first. Small changes in perception can cause large shifts in behavior. Media coverage, social networks, and health messaging all influence these perceptions, potentially moving communities toward or away from these critical thresholds. Mathematics also predicts how peoples decisions about vaccination can cluster. As parents observe others choices, local norms develop, so the more parents skip the vaccine in a community, the more others are likely to follow suit. Game theorists refer to the resulting pockets of low vaccine uptake as susceptibility clusters. These clusters allow diseases to persist even when overall vaccination rates appear adequate. A 95% statewide or national average could mean uniform vaccine coverage, which would prevent outbreaks. Alternatively, it could mean some areas with near-100% coverage and others with dangerously low rates that enable local outbreaks. Not a moral failure All this means that the dramatic fall in vaccination rates was predicted by game theory, and therefore more a reflection of system vulnerability than of a moral failure of individuals. Whats more, blaming parents for making selfish choices can also backfire by making them more defensive and less likely to reconsider their views. Much more helpful would be approaches that acknowledge the tensions between individual and collective interests and that work with, rather than against, the mental calculations informing how people make decisions in interconnected systems. Research shows that communities experiencing outbreaks respond differently to messagng that frames vaccination as a community problem versus messaging that implies moral failure. In a 2021 study of a community with falling vaccination rates, approaches that acknowledged parents genuine concerns while emphasizing the need for community protection made parents 24% more likely to consider vaccinating, while approaches that emphasized personal responsibility or implied selfishness actually decreased their willingness to consider it. This confirms what game theory predicts: When people feel their decision-making is under moral attack, they often become more entrenched in their positions rather than more open to change. Better communication strategies Understanding how people weigh vaccine risks and benefits points to better approaches to communication. For example, clearly conveying risks can help: The 1-in-500 death rate from measles far outweighs the extraordinarily rare serious vaccine side effects. That may sound obvious, but its often missing from public discussion. Also, different communities need different approaches: High-vaccination areas need help staying on track, while low-vaccination areas need trust rebuilt. Consistency matters tremendously. Research shows that when health experts give conflicting information or change their message, people become more suspicious and decide to hold off on vaccines. And dramatic scare tactics about disease can backfire by pushing people toward extreme positions. Making vaccination decisions visible within communitiesthrough community discussions and school-level reporting, where possiblecan help establish positive social norms. When parents understand that vaccination protects vulnerable community members, like infants too young for vaccines or people with medical conditions, it helps bridge the gap between individual and collective interests. Healthcare providers remain the most trusted source of vaccine information. When providers understand game theory dynamics, they can address parents concerns more effectively, recognizing that for most people, hesitancy comes from weighing risks rather than opposing vaccines outright. Y. Tony Yang is an endowed professor of health policy and associate dean at George Washington University. Avi Dor is a professor of health policy and management at George Washington University. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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E-Commerce
The best part of last months MAD Symposium in Copenhagen wasnt chef Thomas Keller telling young chefs in the audience to stop chasing Michelin starsthough he did say that. It wasnt chef and World Central Kitchen founder José Andrés breaking down in tears as he described his organizations work cooking in Gaza. And it wasnt chef-turned-actor Matty Matheson describing his rise to fame on FXs industry hit, The Bear. Instead, under a giant red circus tent in Copenhagen, the star power dulled as the next generation stood up. The brightest spot came as four young Icelandic fishing guides stood onstage and presented a compelling and heartfelt argument against sea-farmed salmon. The seventh-generation guides, two sets of sisters in their late teens and early twenties, are among the first female guides in their country, helping visitors find and catch wild Atlantic salmon on the Laxá river in northern Iceland. I found their story interesting, unexpected, and inspiringwhich, MADs leadership says, is the entire point. For chefs, by chefs The MAD Symposium, named after the Danish word for food, started 15 years ago. Its put on by a Copenhagen-based nonprofit, also called MAD, started by chef René Redzepi. Redzepi runs Noma, a restaurant consistently ranked among the best and most influential restaurants in the world. The Symposium is a kind of for-chefs, by-chefs event that also welcomes bartenders, servers, farmers, food producers, writers, and, this year for the first time, corporate sponsors. Attendees arrive by boat, gather under tents in variable Danish weather conditions, and eat a lot of exceptional foodthis year including recipes from Los Angeles hot spot Anajak Thai, Copenhagens Sanchez, and Londons revered St. John, cooked and served by a tirelessly hospitable team, including Nomas chefs. {"blockType":"creator-network-promo","data":{"mediaUrl":"https:\/\/images.fastcompany.com\/image\/upload\/f_webp,q_auto,c_fit\/wp-cms-2\/2025\/03\/Expedite-Icon-E-white-background.jpg.jpg","headline":"Expedite","description":"Restaurant technology and the big ideas shaping the future of hospitality, by Kristen Hawley. To learn more visit expedite.news","substackDomain":"https:\/\/www.expedite.news\/","colorTheme":"salmon","redirectUrl":""}} Im in the middle of a 14-day shift, I heard one chef say during meal prep, though the people in the tented kitchen were (mostly) smiling. Industry challenges This years event, MAD7, returned after a seven-year hiatus, during which COVID-19 ransacked the restaurant business, grappling with a big question: Is it possible to build to last in this industry? If you follow industry news, at least in America, it might not seem like it. In the last two years, dozens of major restaurant companies have shuttered locations, filed for bankruptcy, or closed outright. McDonalds recently experienced its worst sales decline since the pandemic. Those are just the corporate chains. Independent restaurants, always a tough business, are facing challenges that include rising costs and wage pressures, inflation, changes in consumer spending, and disruptions and uncertainty caused by natural disasters, economic constraints, and political leadership. In the years since MAD began, the tone around chefs and restaurants has shifted dramatically. An industry-wide reckoning sent plenty of top names packing and caused othersRedzepi includedto reexamine and adjust the way they treat workers and run kitchens. Theres a sense that maybe its time for the gods of food, as Time magazine once called them in a feature that also included past MAD speakers David Chang and Brazilian chef Alex Atala (who once killed a chicken on the MAD stage) to step aside. Keller controversy The event itself was largely successful in its efforts to inspire important conversations about what should come next, even if it got off to a sleepy start. Legacy was the theme of the first day, but some speakers missed the opportunity to reflect honestly on reality. The biggest example of this was a conversation between chefs Redzepi and Keller that completely ignored the bombshell story, published a week earlier, by San Francisco Chronicle restaurant critic MacKenzie Chung Fegan. In it, she reveals Keller pulled her aside during a visit to the French Laundry, his Napa Valley fine-dining restaurant, for a lecture about the merits of restaurant critics before asking her to leave. (Spoiler: She stays.) Might one of the worlds greatest chefs address a bit of reasonable, if high-profile criticism in front of a friendly industry audience, we all wondered? Unfortunately, he did not. From supper clubs to pop-ups Thankfully, MAD managed to redeem itself the following day as talks turned to the future. Asma Khan, chef of London Darjeeling Express explained her businesss evolution from supper club to pop-up to permanent restaurant employingand empoweringimmigrant women. Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard spoke of his 2023 decision to, in his words, give away the company, transferring its ownership to a nonprofit foundation. And Emilie Qvist, a young Danish chef, talked about her own future in restaurants: a series of short-term projects that included revitalizing a coastal fish restaurant in northern Denmark before closing it to travel and later sign on as chef for a six-month projectshort-term stints are still excellent vectors for change and creativity, she explained. While the room was filled with bold-faced names of the restaurant world (even Keller stayed for the full program) the most impact came from those working more anonymously to create a better restaurant industry, a better legacy. As we filed out of the tent on Monday evening, first into a boat and then to a happy hour full of natural wine and caviar under a bridge beside a canalthis business has its perks!I again considered the fishing guides wild salmon pitch. A few years ago, they faced a catastrophic disaster when thousands of farmed salmon escaped from a nearby offshore farm. The escape threatened the countrys wild fish with disease, parasites, and reproductive challenges. If the practice of sea farming continues, the young women said, the countrys entire population of wild salmon is at risk of dying. Thats bad news for anyone who cares about fishing practices, but its worse news for the guides. Threatened also is their families legacyan outcome that loomed larger in a tent full of restaurant people than the fate of the fish. {"blockType":"creator-network-promo","data":{"mediaUrl":"https:\/\/images.fastcompany.com\/image\/upload\/f_webp,q_auto,c_fit\/wp-cms-2\/2025\/03\/Expedite-Icon-E-white-background.jpg.jpg","headline":"Expedite","description":"Restaurant technolog and the big ideas shaping the future of hospitality, by Kristen Hawley. To learn more visit expedite.news","substackDomain":"https:\/\/www.expedite.news\/","colorTheme":"salmon","redirectUrl":""}}
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E-Commerce
Well, its a sad day in the Aamoth household: Im thinking of getting rid of the 15-year-old Asus netbook thats been collecting dust in the corner of my office. Its sitting atop the Vizio laptop I bought in 2012. Yes: Vizio, the TV company. They made laptops for a hot minute. Ive got dozens of other relics stacked atop each other as well. I can safely say Ill never use them again. Dont be like me. Holding on to outdated computers, forgotten MP3 players, or Obama-era smartphones isn’t just about accumulating junk. These devices often contain valuable materials that can be recycled, and their improper disposal can harm the environment. So, as you embark on your own spring cleaning spree, consider these excellent online resources to help you give away or recycle your old computers, gadgets, and other outdated tech responsibly. Facebook Marketplace: easy, local gifting They say one persons trash is another persons treasure. And youre not even giving away trashyouve got gadgets! Facebook Marketplace can be a great place to buy stuff nearby, but its “Free Stuff” section is an even better way to get rid of things you dont need anymore but arent sure have any real monetary value. Simply snap a few photos, write a brief description of the item and its condition, and select the “Free” option. People in your area who are looking for items will see your post and can message you directly to arrange pickup. It’s a convenient way to quickly rehome items and clear out space without much hassle. Best Buy: convenient, (mostly) free recycling Sometimes, your tech is just too old, broken, or niche to be useful to someone else. In these cases, responsible recycling can be a frustrating ordeal. Tech retailing kingpin Best Buy offers a comprehensive in-store recycling program for a wide range of electronics, regardless of where you bought them. Most items can be recycled for free, and you can drop off up to three items per day. Theres even a mail-in service if you dont have a Best Buy location nearby. Its not free, but it sure is convenient: Boxes run $23 to $30 and include a UPS label, tape, and instructions. Earth911: local recycling hub For a comprehensive guide to local recycling options, Earth911 is an invaluable resource. This website provides a searchable database of recycling centers across the United States. You can input the type of item you want to recycle (e.g., “computers,” “cellphones”) and your zip code, and it will generate a list of nearby facilities that accept those materials. The site also has a ton of helpful content about recycling, upcycling, and other sustainability topics. A few helpful tips Here are some things to consider before giving away or recycling your old technology. Back up your data: Before you do anything else, ensure all your personal data is backed up to an external hard drive or cloud service. Wipe your device(s): If possible, perform a factory reset to completely eradicate all personal information from your devices. Check your items condition: If you’re giving something away, make sure it’s in working order and clean, or be very clear in your listing that its for repair or parts only.
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E-Commerce
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