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Direct and indirect costs of chickenpox in young children
M J Ferson1, W L Shen, A Stark
1Public Health Unit, South-eastern Sydney Area Health Service, New South Wales, Australia.
Insights
Chickenpox in young children incurs significant costs, primarily from parental work absence and missed childcare, rather than direct medical expenses. These economic impacts are crucial for evaluating childhood varicella immunization programs.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
- Health Economics
Background:
- Chickenpox (varicella) is a common childhood illness.
- Estimating the full economic burden of childhood diseases is essential for public health policy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify the medical and economic/societal costs associated with chickenpox in children under five years old.
- To inform cost-benefit analyses of childhood varicella immunization.
Main Methods:
- A descriptive study was conducted across 124 Sydney childcare centers.
- Data collected included medication use, medical consultations, missed childcare days, and parental costs due to work absenteeism and alternative care.
Main Results:
- Affected children missed an average of 5.5 days of care, valued at $154.
- Medical costs averaged $33 per child.
- Parental labor costs ranged from $160 to $345, with alternative childcare costing $24.
- Total costs per child ranged from $393 to $578, including secondary cases and hospitalizations.
Conclusions:
- The economic impact of chickenpox in children is largely driven by parental work absenteeism and missed childcare.
- Accurate assessment of work-related costs should consider parents' ability to compensate for lost time.
- These findings are vital for evaluating the cost-effectiveness of varicella vaccination.
Objective:
To estimate the medical and economic or societal costs of chickenpox in young children using a descriptive study
Methods:
Children under 5 years of age attending 124 Sydney childcare centres who were reported as having chickenpox were studied to assess the costs of medication use and medical consultations, days of care missed, and parental costs resulting from lost time from work and alternate childcare costs.
Results:
There were 174 children (92 girls and 79 boys; in three the sex was not stated) who missed a mean of 5.5 days of care because of chickenpox, currently valued at $154. Medical costs were valued at $33 per child, based on 0.97 medical visits, and topical and oral medication. Labour costs resulting from parental work absenteeism were valued at $160 or $345 depending on the method of calculation, whilst direct economic costs of $24 were incurred through use of alternate childcare arrangements. Total costs including those incurred by secondary cases and by rare hospitalisations were in the range of $393-$578 per affected child.
Conclusions:
Medical costs of chickenpox in children are small relative to costs incurred as a result of parental work absenteeism and to costs of foregone childcare. Ascribing precise work-related costs should take into account some capacity to make up lost work time. Such data will be required when determining the cost-benefit of childhood varicella immunisation.