An economic analysis of the universal varicella vaccination program in the United States

J Infect Dis. 2008 Mar 1:197 Suppl 2:S156-64. doi: 10.1086/522135.

Abstract

Frequent varicella outbreaks with sizable impact on the US public health system have continued to occur despite the success of the country's 1-dose varicella vaccination program. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recently recommended adding a routine second dose of varicella vaccine and weighed economic projections as well as public health goals in their deliberations. This decision-tree-based analysis was conducted to evaluate the economic impact of the projected 2-dose varicella vaccination program as well as the existing 1-dose program. The analysis used population-based vaccination coverage and disease incidence data to make projections for a hypothetical US birth cohort of 4,100,000 infants born in 2006. Compared with no vaccination, both the 1-dose program (societal benefit-cost ratio [BCR], 4.37) and 2-dose program (BCR, 2.73) were estimated to be cost saving from the societal perspective. Compared with the 1-dose program, the incremental second dose was not cost saving (societal incremental BCR, 0.56). The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio for the second dose was $343 per case prevented, or approximately $109,000 per quality-adjusted life-year saved, and these results were sensitive to assumptions about vaccine effectiveness and prices.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Chickenpox / economics
  • Chickenpox / epidemiology
  • Chickenpox / prevention & control*
  • Chickenpox Vaccine / administration & dosage*
  • Chickenpox Vaccine / economics*
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Cost-Benefit Analysis
  • Disease Outbreaks / economics
  • Disease Outbreaks / prevention & control*
  • Humans
  • Incidence
  • Infant
  • Mass Vaccination / economics*
  • Program Evaluation
  • United States / epidemiology

Substances

  • Chickenpox Vaccine