6 INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH & OPINION

Large savings from influenza vaccination of school children

Influenza vaccination of school-aged children has significant health benefits for the community and generates large cost savings. particularly if performed in a group-based setting. say researchers from the VIrginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine in Richmond. US. l

Costs of influenza and vaccination

eo.t(SUS) No wcoIIM1IIon 1ncIIvIdueJ.In~ ~ V8CCInIIIlon V8CCllIIIIIon

Vaccination 0 35.11 4.31 ooat Direct ooat of 8.49 3.13 3.13 influenza indirect ooat of 81 .33 28.99 28.99 Influenza

Total COIl 89.82 85.83 35.03

Using data from the literature. they estimated that vaccination of school-aged children with inactivated influenza vaccine would generate a net cost saving of $US34.79/child vaccinated in a group-based setting. In this setting. parents would not take time off from work. In the individual-initiated setting. where parents would schedule appointments for their children at physician offices, influenza vaccination would still generate a saving of $US3.99/child vaccinated [see table]. The cost savings were largely attributable to averted indirect costs and were robust through a range of sensitivity analyses.

The analysis was conducted from a societal perspective. The efficacy of the influenza vaccine was assumed to be 56%. Direct costs included those associated with the vaccination. * including the vaccine. supplies. advertising. mailings. personnel and administration. and those associated with a physician visit for ill children and for secondary contacts seeking medical care. Indirect costs comprised those related to time lost from work for the caretaker. The costs of serious complications or fatalities associated with the vaccination were not included. Although the researchers say that such serious adverse events would raise the cost of vaccination, they point out that several recent studies have found no evidence of such occurrences.

In an accompanying editorial. Dr Gregory Poland from the Mayo Clinic and Dr Caroline Breese Hall from the University of Rochester Medical Center suggest that the conclusions reached by the results of this study are well founded.2 However, they point out that 'high levels of coverage would be required to reduce transmission of influenza at the community level' . Only then could community epidemics be interrupted. they say. The significant pain. suffering and death due to influenza can be prevented by mass immunisation, if funds and feasibility are assumed, they note. 'The infrastructure and resources to allow general immunization of schoolchildren may be promoted by the education of parents and providers for the need to control influenza even in normal individuals' . they conclude.

PharmacoEconomics & Out:omes Nflws 31 Ju118911 No. Z23

• assumed to be $US4lrecipient in the group-based setting and $USJO/recipient in the individual· initiated setting

1. White T, et aI. Potential cost savings attributable to influenza vaccination of school-aged children. Pediatrics Electronic Pages [serial onlinel103: e73, Part I, Jun 1999. Available from: URL: hup:llwww.pediatrics.org2. Poland GA, et aI. Influenza immunization of schoolchildren: can we interrupt community epidemics? Pediatrics 103: 1280-1282, Part I, Jun 1999 """.,...

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