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Showing posts with the label vaccination

Decision Making as Output and Bounded Rationality

  The classical economics theories proceed on the assumption of rational agents. Rationality implies the economic agents undertake actions or exercise choices based on the cost-benefit analysis they undertake. The assumption further posits that there exists no information asymmetry and thus the agent is aware of all the costs and benefits associated with the choice he or she has exercised. The behavioral school contested the decision stating the decisions in practice are often irrational. Implied there is a continuous departure from rationality. Rationality in the views of the behavioral school is more an exception to the norm rather a rule. The past posts have discussed the limitations of this view by the behavioral school. Economics has often posited rationality in the context in which the choices are exercised rather than theoretical abstract view of rational action. Rational action in theory seems to be grounded in zero restraint situation yet in practice, there are numerous restra

Opening Up the Indian Vaccine Policy

  The second wave of the Chinese flu is not showing signs of decline. There are a few who are talking about the peak being hit in Maharashtra but there is very little evidence of the same. Maybe in the next few weeks, one could observe any decline. While there are quite a few experts who are talking about the peak being in three weeks and then a slow plateau and decline the cases, these opinions are bound to be taken with certain skepticism. The plan must be to prepare for the worst case scenario rather than the optimistic scenario. In fact, one of the drawbacks of the Indian policy making apparatus has been the plans based on optimism rather than worst case scenario. Indian vaccination approvals too was based on perhaps the minimum need to vaccinate a certain mass to break the chain. There was no realization that the chain could be broken only if all the Indians are vaccinated or at least those eligible. This has set back the process of vaccination and perhaps in some ways did aggrava