Cost-benefit analysis of the National Immunization Program in Spain

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Economics
• Vaccinology

Background:

• National Immunization Programs (NIPs) offer broad benefits that are challenging to quantify comprehensively.
• Assessing the full lifetime cost-benefit of NIPs is crucial for public health policy.
• Spain's current NIP includes various vaccines, with ongoing considerations for expansion.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a cost-benefit analysis of Spain's National Immunization Program (NIP).
• To evaluate the economic and health benefits of the current NIP and an expanded NIP.
• To determine the societal return on investment for lifetime vaccination strategies.

Main Methods:

• A cost-benefit analysis was performed using Excel for a single newborn cohort over a lifetime horizon.
• The analysis compared the current Spanish NIP (2020) and an expanded NIP against no vaccination.
• Data inputs were sourced from published literature and Spanish national databases.

Main Results:

• The 2020 NIP required an investment of €168.5 million, yielding €772.2 million in economic benefits (BCR €4.58).
• The expanded NIP required €275.5 million, generating €803.0 million (BCR €2.91).
• Both scenarios demonstrated positive benefit-cost ratios from a societal perspective.

Conclusions:

• The Spanish National Immunization Program is a highly efficient public health intervention.
• Expanding NIPs with additional vaccines continues to provide significant societal economic benefits.
• Lifetime vaccination programs represent a valuable and cost-effective public health strategy.