A method for evaluating the cost-benefit of different preparedness planning policies against pandemic influenza

•Our work presents a unifying method to calculate the net-benefit of different preparedness policies against different pandemic influeunza strains. Unlike previous methods, which have focused on evaluating specific strategies against specific pandemics, our method allows assessment of mass immunisation strategies in presence and absence of antiviral drugs for a large range of pandemic influenza strain characteristics and programme features. Overall, the model described here combines two parts to evaluate different preparedness planning policies against pandemic influenza.•The first part is adaptation of an existing transmission model for seasonal influenza to include generalisation across large number of pandemic influenza scenarios.•The second part is development of a tailor-made health economic model devised in collaboration with colleagues at the UK Department of Health and Social Care.