Journal of
Infectious Diseases and Immunity

  • Abbreviation: J. Infect. Dis. Immun.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 2141-2375
  • DOI: 10.5897/JIDI
  • Start Year: 2009
  • Published Articles: 94

Review

Cost effectiveness analyses of influenza A (H1N1) vaccination programs: How accurate were they?

Michael F. Beeler*
  • Michael F. Beeler*
  • Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, Canada. Operations Research Center, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA.
  • Google Scholar
Dionne M. Aleman
  • Dionne M. Aleman
  • Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, Canada.
  • Google Scholar
Michael W. Carter
  • Michael W. Carter
  • Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, Canada.
  • Google Scholar


  •  Received: 16 September 2013
  •  Accepted: 05 November 2014
  •  Published: 30 November 2014

Abstract

Three economic evaluations of pandemic influenza A (H1N1) vaccination campaigns in North America concluded that the mass vaccination campaigns would be, or were, highly cost-effective, if not cost-saving. This paper re-assesses each study's analysis and presents three arguments: 1) prediction of vaccine program cost-effectiveness is unrealistic, if not impossible, unless quality surveillance data is available; 2) even when surveillance data is available, vaccine cost-effectiveness calculations can still vary dramatically and need to undergo wider-ranging sensitivity analysis; 3) H1N1 vaccination campaigns in North America were likely not as cost-effective as previously thought. Several recommendations are then made for improving transparency, accuracy, portability, and sensitivity analysis in pharmacoeconomic studies more generally.

 

Key words: Pandemic, influenza, vaccination, immunization, cost-effectiveness, health economics, pharmaco-economics.