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Published on: January 28, 2019
Cost-benefit analysis of rotavirus vaccine included in the national immunization program in China
Shuning Chen1, Shenghui Gao2, Jingxin Li3
1NHC Key Laboratory of Medical Virology and Viral Diseases, National Institute for Viral Diseases Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100052, China; Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY 10032, USA.
Insights
Adding rotavirus vaccine to China's National Immunization Program could prevent millions of infections. However, at current prices, the program shows significant societal costs, not savings.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Health Economics
- Vaccinology
Background:
- Rotavirus is a major cause of severe gastroenteritis in children under five globally.
- Rotavirus vaccines are currently only available in China through the private market.
- The economic burden of rotavirus necessitates evaluating vaccine inclusion in national programs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the cost-benefit of incorporating a three-dose rotavirus vaccine into China's National Immunization Program (NIP).
- To determine the economic impact of universal rotavirus vaccination for a specific birth cohort.
Main Methods:
- A decision tree Markov model was utilized for cost-benefit analysis.
- The model evaluated universal immunization with three doses of rotavirus vaccine for the 2019 Chinese birth cohort.
- Costs included vaccine price, wastage, administration, and indirect expenses, with a 3% discount rate.
Main Results:
- Universal rotavirus vaccination for the 2019 birth cohort was projected to prevent over 5.6 million rotavirus infections.
- The study estimated net savings of $1.1 billion in total societal costs.
- A cost-benefit threshold of $17.55 per vaccine dose was identified for cost-saving inclusion in the NIP.
Conclusions:
- Introducing the rotavirus vaccine into China's NIP presents significant societal costs at the current private market price.
- Further economic evaluation is needed to determine optimal pricing and policy for rotavirus vaccine inclusion.
Background:
Globally, rotavirus is a leading cause of severe acute gastroenteritis among children aged under 5 years and has a significant economic cost. Currently, rotavirus vaccines are only included in the private market in China. This study aimed to assess the cost-benefit of including a three-dose rotavirus vaccine in China's National Immunization Program (NIP).
Methods:
A decision tree Markov model was constructed to evaluate the cost-benefit of universal immunization with three doses of rotavirus vaccine for a 2019 birth cohort of Chinese children. Costs of the universal vaccination program included vaccine price, vaccine wastage, vaccine administration, and indirect costs. All costs were discounted at 3 % per year and converted from 2019 Chinese Yuan to 2019 USD using the 2019 exchange rate.
Results:
For the 2019 birth cohort of Chinese infants, inclusion of RotaTeq in NIP was estimated to prevent 5,677,911 cases of rotavirus infection, with net savings of $1.1 billion in total societal costs. A cost of $17.55 per vaccine dose was the threshold at which inclusion of rotavirus vaccine in NIP would be cost-saving.
Conclusions:
Introducing rotavirus vaccine into the China NIP would have significant costs from a societal perspective at the current private market price.
