HKDSE Economics in Life – Microeconomics 1 (2nd Edition)

Chapter 4 Production and Division of Labour

Case Study

Chapter 4 Production and Division of Labour Source B: Opinions of Americans on the vaccination
Case Study arrangements

Topic: COVID-19 vaccine development

I think the government should
accord top priority to healthcare
Source A: A news report on the development of a COVID-
workers for COVID-19 vaccines,
19 vaccine as they are more at risk of
infection than ordinary people.
On 9 November 2020, US pharmaceutical producer Pfizer
announced that the Phase 3 clinical trial of a COVID-19
vaccine was completed with satisfactory results. If Pfizer is
granted authorisation by the US government for the A healthcare worker
production of the vaccine, certain groups of people in the US
and some areas in Europe are expected to get priority for
vaccination.
Compared to young people,
there is a higher COVID-19
death rate for the elderly. The
An expert said that Pfizer’s vaccine was developed from a
government should accord top
COVID-19 nucleic acid (新型冠狀病毒核酸) using an
priority to the elderly for the
innovative approach to make it suitable for injection and to
vaccines.
elicit immune and antibody responses.
(Various newspapers, November 2020)
An elderly person

© Aristo Educational Press Ltd. 1

HKDSE Economics in Life – Microeconomics 1 (2nd Edition)
Chapter 4 Production and Division of Labour
Case Study

Questions:

1. Referring to Source A, to which type of production does the

production of the COVID-19 vaccine by a pharmaceutical
producer belong? Explain.

2. Refer to Sources A and B. Explain whether the vaccines

given to the public are public goods.

3. Referring to Source B, which basic economic problem are

the Americans’ opinions related to? Explain.

© Aristo Educational Press Ltd. 2