Cost-effectiveness of vaccination against cervical cancer: a multi-regional analysis assessing the impact of vaccine characteristics and alternative vaccination scenarios

Vaccine. 2008 Sep 15:26 Suppl 5:F29-45. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2008.05.069.

Abstract

Mathematical models provide valuable insights into the public health and economic impact of cervical cancer vaccination programmes. An in-depth economic analysis should explore the effects of different vaccine-related factors and vaccination scenarios (independent of screening practices) on health benefits and costs. In this analysis, a Markov cohort model was used to explore the impact of vaccine characteristics (e.g. cross-type protection and waning of immunity) and different vaccination scenarios (e.g. age at vaccination and multiple cohort strategies) on the cost-effectiveness results of cervical cancer vaccination programmes. The analysis was applied across different regions in the world (Chile, Finland, Ireland, Poland and Taiwan) to describe the influence of location-specific conditions. The results indicate that in all the different settings cervical cancer vaccination becomes more cost-effective with broader and sustained vaccine protection, with vaccination at younger ages, and with the inclusion of several cohorts. When other factors were varied, the cost-effectiveness of vaccination was most negatively impacted by increasing the discount rate applied to costs and health effects.

MeSH terms

  • Cohort Studies
  • Costs and Cost Analysis
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Models, Econometric*
  • National Health Programs / economics*
  • Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / economics*
  • Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / prevention & control*