Economic evaluations of implemented vaccination programmes: key methodological challenges in retrospective analyses

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Economics
• Vaccinology

Background:

• Post-implementation evaluations are vital for assessing public health program success.
• The economic value of vaccination programs post-introduction has been under-examined.
• Methodological challenges hinder comprehensive evaluations of vaccine programs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore methodological challenges in post-implementation evaluations of vaccine programs.
• To offer direction for future evaluations of vaccine programs.
• To identify alternative approaches for assessing the value for money of vaccine programs.

Main Methods:

• Estimation of disease changes attributable to vaccination.
• Utilizing a hypothetical no-vaccination comparator scenario.
• Assessing the full benefits achieved by implemented vaccination programs.
• Considering the evolution of prices over time in economic analyses.

Main Results:

• Identified key methodological challenges in vaccine program evaluations.
• Proposed alternative analytical approaches for greater accuracy.
• Highlighted the importance of considering price changes and full program benefits.
• Emphasized the need for a standardized methodological framework.

Conclusions:

• Post-implementation evaluations are essential but require methodological refinement for vaccine programs.
• Further research is needed to explore various approaches and their impact on evaluation results.
• Establishing a methodological framework will provide standards and guidance for future analyses.
• Recognizing the benefits and limitations of these evaluations is crucial for their influence.