Cost-effectiveness of rotavirus vaccination in Turkey

• Published in: Journal of microbiology, immunology and infection immunology and infection, 2017-10, Vol.50 (5), p.693-699
• Main Authors: Koksal, Tulin, Akelma, Ahmet Zulfikar, Koksal, Ali Osman, Kutukoglu, Irem, Ozdemir, Osman, Yuksel, Cigdem Nuket, Bozkaya, Davut, Catal, Ferhat, Sari, Sinan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Child; cost effectiveness; Cost of Illness; Cost-Benefit Analysis; Diarrhea - prevention & control; Female; gastroenteritis; Gastroenteritis - prevention & control; Health Care Costs; Hospitalization - economics; hospitalized child; Humans; Immunization Programs - economics; Infectious Disease; Male; Medical Education; Retrospective Studies; rotavirus; Rotavirus - pathogenicity; Rotavirus Infections - economics; Rotavirus Infections - prevention & control; Rotavirus Vaccines - economics; Turkey; vaccination; Vaccination - economics
• ISSN: 1684-1182; 1995-9133
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jmii.2016.03.005

Abstract Background /Purpose: Cost-effectiveness studies about rotavirus (RV) vaccination programs were performed in many countries due to severe economic burden of RV infections. This study, an economic evaluation was performed to assess the potential introducing RV vaccine for the Turkish National Immunization Program. Methods This retrospective clinical study, records and laboratory findings of a total of 4126 patients admitted to University Hospital with acute gastroenteritis were analyzed. A model described by Parashar et al. was used to obtain the annual episodes of diarrhea, hospitalization and outpatients visits in Turkey. Monovalent and pentavalent vaccination was assumed to protect in average 85% of RV acute gastroenteritis. All costs are expressed in 2012 US$, where one US$ equals 1.8 TL. Losses of labor costs were not taken into consideration. Results The vaccination program with 85% coverage was cost and cost saving compared to no vaccination. For a projected birth cohort of 1.25 million children was followed until 5 years of age, a routine vaccination could potentially avert 210,994 cases of diarrhea treated in outpatient hospital facilities and 42,715 hospitalizations. The RV associated economic burden was obtained as US$ 17,909 million per year (US$ 14.33 per birth annually) in medical direct costs by using the national level of RV diarrhea disease burden estimates. For monovalent and pentavalent vaccination, assuming a cost of US$ 31.5 and US$ 38 per vaccine course, the cost of vaccination program was estimated to be approximately US$ 37,878 million and US$ 45,475 million, respectively. Conclusion At a cost per vaccine course of US$ 31.5 for monovalent and US$ 38 for pentavalent vaccine, routine RV vaccination could be potentially cost effective and also cost saving in Turkey. National RV vaccinations will play a significant role in preventing RV infections.