Game Theory and the Pandemic
Link: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/20/health/virus-vaccine-game-theory.html
In this New York times article, the author points out the connection between the COVID-19 vaccination rollout and the prisoners dilemma. They mention that many people were skeptical about the validity of the vaccine and the potential side effects and health risks it might have on their body. This resulted in some people “waiting out” whether they would need to get the vaccine, because their hope might have been that if enough people did it themselves, we would reach heard immunity before they needed to. So in their minds, they were hoping others would choose to be vaccinated so they could have the same overall result, without the potential risk to their health that they thought might come from a new vaccine. However, if others had this same idea, then no one would be getting vaccinated, and COVID-19 would still be prevalent in the community. This is why it was necessary for people to take this into account when making their decision. And if everyone got vaccinated, it would be for the greater good because we are closer to ending the pandemic. This models a prisoners dilemma situation when phrased in these terms.
The author pointed out that while this may have been many individuals internal thought process, the vaccination status is much higher in real life than the prisoners dilemma model would suggest. I think this makes a great point to consider when using game theory models, and that it they assume our only goal is to win. As people, we are not only caught up with how to have the best outcomes for ourselves. We might have other reasons for getting vaccinated, such as an immunocompromised friend, or elderly people in our life who we want to keep safe. This is a great example that while game theory can be an excellent tool, it is not going to fully encapsulate all that a person thinks about when making a decision, purely because people are not always rational.