title: Cost-benefit analysis of routine childhood vaccination against chickenpox in Taiwan: decision from different perspectives.
abstract: Cost-benefit analysis was conducted to determine whether it is worthwhile to initiate a routine varicella vaccination program in Taiwan from different perspectives. Using the human capital approach, the discounted net cost for vaccination program was New Taiwan Dollars (NTD) 281 million from health care payer's perspective. Taking indirect costs into account, the net saving due to vaccination program was NTD 425 million from the societal perspective. In terms of benefit-cost ratio, a mass varicella vaccination program could only save NTD 0.34 in discounted costs for each dollar incurred in a vaccination program from health care payer's perspective whereas save NTD 2.06 from the societal viewpoint. Results based on the willingness-to-pay (WTP) method showed the Net Present Value (NPV) of the vaccination program was estimated as -NTD 272 million. We conclude that a routine varicella vaccination program is worthwhile from the societal perspective but neither from health care payer's nor from consumer decision based on the perspective of WTP.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Preventive Medicine, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Room 207, No. 19, Su-Chow, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Hui-Chun
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: Ruey Shiung
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Tao Hsin
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Tung
authors.forename: Tony Hsiu Hsi
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D002644:Chickenpox / Q000191:economics* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D019433:Chickenpox Vaccine / Q000191:economics* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003661:Decision Support Techniques; D006801:Humans; D017589:Immunization Programs / Q000191:economics*; D008390:Markov Chains; D032541:Mass Vaccination / Q000191:economics; D013624:Taiwan
chemical_list: D019433:Chickenpox Vaccine