Infant and preschool immunization delivery in Alberta and Ontario: a partial cost-minimization analysis

This paper is a partial cost-minimization analysis of preschool immunization delivery in Alberta and Ontario. Public health nurses deliver such immunization in Alberta while in Ontario it is usually provided by private physicians. In constant 1986 dollars, labour costs were 2.9 times higher in Ontario than in Alberta. Alberta and Ontario achieved equal success in preventing diphtheria, tetanus and poliomyelitis in the target population of zero to four years of age. Ontario's pertussis rates were higher than Alberta's from 1980 to 1986 inclusive (p less than 0.01). Rubella rates were higher in Alberta from 1980 to 1986 inclusive (p less than 0.05) but the congenital rubella rates for the same period were not. During 1980, Ontario's measles rate was higher (p less than 0.01) while for 1982 and 1986, Alberta's measles rates were higher. In 1986, Alberta's mumps rate was higher than Ontario's (p less than 0.01). The findings argue in favour of the less costly public health nurse approach to immunization delivery. A more definitive conclusion could have been reached had the provinces maintained more detailed age-specific disease incidence data.