title: An economic analysis of rotavirus vaccination in Italy.
abstract: We have evaluated health and economic benefits of a universal infant vaccination with two rotavirus vaccines registered in Italy, on the bases of the burden of rotavirus gastroenteritis (RVGE) in a birth cohort of 520,000 Italian infants followed until 5 years of age. Estimates from published and unpublished sources of disease burden, costs, vaccine coverage, efficacy trials of both vaccines, and price were used to estimate cost-effectiveness from the perspectives of the Italian National Health Service (NHS) and society. According to our estimates, a universal rotavirus vaccination program would avoid 10,679 hospitalizations, 39,202 emergency visits, and 44,223 at home visits. At 65.6 euro per vaccination courses, the program would cost 30,700,800 euro and realize a net loss of 9,057,928 euro from the Italian NHS perspective. On the contrary, the program would provide a net savings of 24,324,198 euro from the societal perspective. From the Italian NHS perspective, the break-even price per vaccination course should be reduced at least to 46.25 euro to achieve a zero cost-effectiveness ratio.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Analisi dei Processi Politici Sociali ed Istituzionali, University of Catania, I-95131 Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria Daniela
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Giammanco
authors.forename: Maria Anna
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Coniglio
authors.forename: Sarina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pignato
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Giammanco
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002675:Child, Preschool; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D012400:Rotavirus Infections / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D022243:Rotavirus Vaccines / Q000191:economics* / Q000276:immunology*; D014611:Vaccination / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D022243:Rotavirus Vaccines