Economic evaluation of varicella vaccination in Swiss children and adolescents

Banz, Kurt; Iseli, Andrea; Aebi, Christoph; Brunner, Matthias; Schmutz, André M; Heininger, Ulrich (2009). Economic evaluation of varicella vaccination in Swiss children and adolescents. Human vaccines, 5(12), pp. 847-57. Georgetown, Tex.: Landes Bioscience

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This study explores the effects of three different 2-dose varicella zoster virus (VZV) vaccination strategies in Switzerland. The EVITA model was used to assess clinical benefits and costs of strategies (1) vaccination of 11-15 year old adolescents with a negative or uncertain history for chickenpox, (2) universal vaccination of toddlers at age 1 to 2 years, and (3) strategy 2 plus catch-up vaccination of 11-15 year old susceptible adolescents. The cost-effectiveness analysis compares strategies 2 and 3 versus strategy 1 (current vaccination policy in Switzerland). Probabilities for clinical outcomes and medical resource utilization were derived from a real-world survey among Swiss pediatricians and general practitioners including 236 individuals with VZV infection, published information on varicella complications, and expert opinion. Costs of medical resource utilization represent official Swiss medical tariffs. The model predicts both universal childhood vaccination strategies to be more effective in reducing varicella disease burden compared to strategy 1. Economically, both universal childhood vaccination strategies with or without catch-up result in net savings from the societal perspective reflected by a benefit cost ratio (BCR) of 1.22 or 1.29, respectively. In contrast, the model predicts net costs from the payer perspective (BCR of 0.27 and 0.30, respectively). These economic findings are comparable to those reported from other similar evaluations. However, due to the recent recommendation for using a 2-dose varicella vaccination schedule, our economic results for Switzerland are somewhat less favorable than those for other country analyses in which a less expensive 1-dose vaccination regimen for toddlers has been studied.

Item Type:	Journal Article (Original Article)
Division/Institute:	04 Faculty of Medicine > Department of Gynaecology, Paediatrics and Endocrinology (DFKE) > Clinic of Paediatric Medicine
UniBE Contributor:	Aebi, Christoph
ISSN:	1554-8600
Publisher:	Landes Bioscience
Language:	English
Submitter:	Anette van Dorland
Date Deposited:	04 Oct 2013 15:12
Last Modified:	05 Dec 2022 14:22
PubMed ID:	19829048
Web of Science ID:	000273417600014
URI:	https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/31790 (FactScience: 196470)