title: Cost-effectiveness of adjuvanted influenza vaccination of healthy children 6 to 60 months of age.
abstract: This study estimated the health and economic outcomes of universal administration of a adjuvanted influenza vaccine to healthy preschool children, as compared with current immunization practice. A Markov model simulated a cohort of 3 million children and their households undergoing five influenza seasons. Assuming a vaccine uptake rate of 30%, at the current acquisition cost of Euro 5.50 per vaccine dose influenza vaccination (two doses for unprimed children) of 6- to 60-month- (5-year) old children averted more than 1 million clinical influenza episodes and saved Euro 63 million, from the perspective of the Italian society. From the perspective of the Italian health care service, influenza vaccination of 6- to 60- and of 6- to 24-month-old children cost Euro 10,000 and Euro 13,333 per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) saved, respectively. Administration of a adjuvanted influenza vaccine to children aged 6 to 60 months was highly cost-effective for the health care service and cost saving for the society.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory Clinical Epidemiology, IRCCS Policlinico S.Matteo, Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: Monia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marchetti
authors.forename: Ursula M
authors.initials: UM
authors.lastname: Kühnel
authors.forename: Giorgio L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Colombo
authors.forename: Susanna
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Esposito
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Principi
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007252:Influenza Vaccines / Q000191:economics / Q000276:immunology*; D019057:Quality-Adjusted Life Years; D022721:Vaccines, Virosome / Q000191:economics / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D007252:Influenza Vaccines; D022721:Vaccines, Virosome