Cost-effectiveness of defending against bioterrorism: a comparison of vaccination and antibiotic prophylaxis against anthrax.
BACKGROUND
Weaponized Bacillus anthracis is one of the few biological agents that can cause death and disease in sufficient numbers to devastate an urban setting.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of strategies for prophylaxis and treatment of an aerosolized B. anthracis bioterror attack.


METHODS
Decision analytic model.


METHODS
We derived probabilities of anthrax exposure, vaccine and treatment characteristics, and their costs and associated clinical outcomes from the medical literature and bioterrorism-preparedness experts.


METHODS
Persons living and working in a large metropolitan U.S. city.


METHODS
Patient lifetime.


CONCLUSIONS
Societal.


METHODS
We evaluated 4 postattack strategies: no prophylaxis, vaccination alone, antibiotic prophylaxis alone, or vaccination and antibiotic prophylaxis, as well as preattack vaccination versus no vaccination.


METHODS
Costs, quality-adjusted life-years, life-years, and incremental cost-effectiveness.


RESULTS
If an aerosolized B. anthracis bioweapon attack occurs, postexposure prophylactic vaccination and antibiotic therapy for those potentially exposed is the most effective (0.33 life-year gained per person) and least costly (355 dollars saved per person) strategy, as compared with vaccination alone. At low baseline probabilities of attack and exposure, mass previous vaccination of a metropolitan population is more costly (815 million dollars for a city of 5 million people) and not more effective than no vaccination.


RESULTS
If prophylactic antibiotics cannot be promptly distributed after exposure, previous vaccination may become cost-effective.


CONCLUSIONS
The probability of exposure and disease critically depends on the probability and mechanism of bioweapon release.


CONCLUSIONS
In the event of an aerosolized B. anthracis bioweapon attack over an unvaccinated metropolitan U.S. population, postattack prophylactic vaccination and antibiotic therapy is the most effective and least expensive strategy.
Fowler
Robert A
RA
Sunnybrook and Women's College Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. rob.fowler@sw.ca <rob.fowler@sw.ca>
Sanders
Gillian D
GD
Bravata
Dena M
DM
Nouri
Bahman
B
Gastwirth
Jason M
JM
Peterson
Dane
D
Broker
Allison G
AG
Garber
Alan M
AM
Owens
Douglas K
DK
D000881:Anthrax / Q000517:prevention & control*; D022122:Anthrax Vaccines / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000191:economics*; D019072:Antibiotic Prophylaxis / Q000191:economics*; D023482:Bioterrorism / Q000191:economics*; D002947:Cities; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003661:Decision Support Techniques; D006801:Humans; D015233:Models, Statistical; D019057:Quality-Adjusted Life Years; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014481:United States; D014611:Vaccination / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000191:economics*
D022122:Anthrax Vaccines