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Understanding the cost-effectiveness of influenza vaccination in children: methodological choices and seasonal

Anthony T Newall1, Juan Pablo Dehollain, Prudence Creighton

  • 1School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia. a.newall@unsw.edu.au

Pharmacoeconomics
|May 7, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Universal childhood influenza vaccination is cost-effective if herd immunity is achieved. Methodological choices significantly impact economic evaluations, and seasonal variability in influenza transmission must be considered.

Area of Science:

  • Public Health
  • Epidemiology
  • Health Economics

Background:

  • Universal childhood influenza vaccination is increasingly recommended globally.
  • This study addresses the growing consideration of childhood flu vaccination programs in developed nations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze the cost-effectiveness of childhood influenza vaccination.
  • To identify key factors influencing the economic viability of pediatric flu immunization.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized an age-stratified Susceptible-Exposed-Infectious-Recovered (SEIR) model.
  • Examined the cost-effectiveness of vaccination in Australian schoolchildren as a case study.

Main Results:

  • Methodological choices, such as including herd immunity and specific costs/benefits, critically affect cost-effectiveness outcomes.
  • Including herd protection indicated the vaccination program was likely cost-effective.
  • Seasonal variability in influenza transmission can lead to counter-intuitive results, impacting control ease and benefit realization.

Conclusions:

  • Universal childhood influenza vaccination demonstrates cost-effectiveness potential, contingent on achieving substantial herd protection.
  • Decision-makers must understand the influence of seasonal variability and methodological choices in economic evaluations of influenza vaccination programs.
Abstract

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