Abstract
Background: Influenza epidemics are responsible for considerable
mortality and morbidity rates, especially among elderly and high risk
groups, and vaccination is the main effective strategy for primary
prevention.
Objectives: The aim of the study was to analyze the economic
impact of influenza vaccination with a particular focus on elderly and
high risk groups, independently from age.
Methods: A search of cost-effectiveness and cost-utility analyses of
influenza vaccination in comparison with no intervention was carried
out on PubMed from January 1990 to May 2011. Economic analyses
were considered eligible only if they addressed elderly and high risk
groups. The quality of selected articles was assessed through
Drummond’s checklist.
Results: Sixteen cost-effectiveness analyses and four cost-benefit
analyses were selected, with a quality judged fairly good. Influenza
vaccination appeared to be cost-effective and sometimes cost-saving
among elderly, also in terms of deaths averted and years of life gained.
Among children at risk, vaccination was shown to be cost-saving from
the societal perspective and less costly than other preventive
measures, with a cost-benefit ratio of 6.4. Among high risk groups
vaccination was cost-effective in all studies but one with respect to
patients younger than 65: for adult cancer patients it was either costeffective
(Incremental Cost-Effectiveness Ratio of US$224.00 per
Quality Adjusted Life Years gained) or cost-saving, averting total costs
by US$ 2,107 and US$ 6,338 from the health care and societal
perspective respectively.
Discussion and implications: Influenza vaccination has a very
high economic value, as it allows to allocate resources efficiently and
to guarantee a better health state also by avoiding severe complications
among elderly and high risk groups. Anyway, the standardization of
methods of evaluation would permit the comparability and transferability of results of different studies. The saving of indirect
costs should be also considered in addressing economic implications
in Public Health.
Lingua originale | English |
---|---|
pagine (da-a) | 211-211 |
Numero di pagine | 1 |
Rivista | Gaceta Sanitaria |
Stato di pubblicazione | Pubblicato - 2012 |
Evento | 9th HTAi Annual Meeting - Bilbao Durata: 23 giu 2012 → 27 giu 2012 |
Keywords
- Economic evaluation
- Influenza