title: The economic value of a visceral leishmaniasis vaccine in Bihar state, India.
abstract: Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is responsible for substantial morbidity and mortality and current available treatments have many limitations. The ability of VL infection to generate life-long immunity offers promise for the development of a VL vaccine. A VL vaccine candidate has recently completed phase I clinical trials. We constructed a computer simulation model to determine the potential economic value of a VL vaccine in the endemic region of Bihar state, India. Results found a potential vaccine to be cost-effective (and in many cases economically dominant, i.e., saving costs and providing health benefits) throughout a wide range of vaccination costs and vaccine efficacies, and VL risks. Overall, our study strongly supports the continued development of a VL vaccine.
authors.affiliation: Public Health Computational and Operations Research, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15213, USA. BYL1@pitt.edu
authors.forename: Bruce Y
authors.initials: BY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Kristina M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Bacon
authors.forename: Mirat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.forename: Sara Beth
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Kitchen
authors.forename: Diana L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Connor
authors.forename: Rachel B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Slayton
mesh_terms: D017281:Cost of Illness; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D019353:Endemic Diseases / Q000191:economics* / Q000517:prevention & control; D017048:Health Care Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D007891:Leishmania / Q000276:immunology / Q000472:pathogenicity; D054332:Leishmaniasis Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D054332:Leishmaniasis Vaccines