title: [Economic impact of pneumococcal vaccine on oncological patients].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  An economic evaluation of an anti-S pneumoniae vaccine for oncological patients in Colombia.
  
  
  METHODS
  As there is no evidence of vaccine effectiveness for this kind of patient, the cost of a vaccination programme for oncological patients was calculated during its first six years and the opportunity cost was estimated for early cancer detection alternatives.
  
  
  RESULTS
  An anti-S. pneumoniae vaccination programme for oncological patients would cost around $31,000,000,000 (Colombian pesos in 2006, i.e. nearly US$12,400,000) during its first years. Alternative programs could be developed with this amount, such as 170,000 colonoscopies or early HPV detection, 500,000 mammographies, or more than 3,800,000 cytologies.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Given the scarcity of resources, it would be better (from an economic point of view) to devote this amount to programmes whose effectiveness has been proven, such as early cancer detection or vaccinating healthy children.
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Ciencias Económicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional de Colombia. lachicaizab@unal.edu.co
authors.forename: Liliana A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Chicaíza-Becerra
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: García-Molina
authors.forename: Mónica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ballesteros
authors.forename: Oscar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Gamboa
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Díaz
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vega
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: de la Hoz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003105:Colombia / Q000453:epidemiology; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D022242:Pneumococcal Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000191:economics*; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D022242:Pneumococcal Vaccines