title: Efficiency of the incorporation of the hepatitis A vaccine as a combined A+B vaccine to the hepatitis B vaccination programme of preadolescents in schools.
abstract: In 1998, the Department of Health of Catalonia (Spain) began universal vaccination of preadolescents against hepatitis A by replacing the simple hepatitis B vaccine with a combined hepatitis A+B vaccine. Economic analyses were made of the two alternative strategies: to continue with the simple hepatitis B vaccination or to replace the simple vaccine with a combined hepatitis A+B vaccine. The analysis was made from the societal perspective and the time horizon considered was 25 years. In the base case, (estimated annual hepatitis A incidence of 15 per 100,000 and incremental price of the hepatitis A+B vaccine over the simple hepatitis B vaccine of 1.98) the net present value of the programme was positive (+533,708) and the benefit-cost ratio was 2.58. If the estimated disease incidence were reduced by half, the programme would still be efficient.
authors.affiliation: General-Directorate of Public Health, Department of Health, Generalitat of Catalonia, Travessera de les Corts, 131-159, 08028 Barcelona, Spain. e.navas@gencat.net
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Navas
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Salleras
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gisbert
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dominguez
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bruguera
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rodríguez
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Galí
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Prat
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D005260:Female; D006506:Hepatitis A / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control; D022362:Hepatitis A Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000191:economics; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000517:prevention & control; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000191:economics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018803:Models, Economic; D012574:Schools; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D017778:Vaccines, Combined / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000191:economics
chemical_list: D022362:Hepatitis A Vaccines; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines; D017778:Vaccines, Combined