title: Key issues and challenges in estimating the impact and cost-effectiveness of quadrivalent influenza vaccination.
abstract: Evidence has shown that quadrivalent influenza vaccines containing all four subtypes are safe and immunogenic. However, to date there have been few published studies exploring the population-level clinical and economic impact of quadrivalent compared to trivalent influenza vaccines. Economic evaluation studies need to be conducted in order to inform country-level decision making about whether (and how to) introduce and replace the current trivalent influenza vaccines with quadrivalent influenza vaccination programs. Several key issues associated with estimating the clinical and economic impact of the trivalent versus quadrivalent vaccines are discussed in this article, particularly the complexities involved in estimating the incremental preventable disease and economic burden. Other factors, such as the indirect (herd) protection from quadrivalent influenza vaccination and the timing of the replacement of trivalent influenza vaccination programs are also discussed.
authors.affiliation: NSW Ministry of Health , Sydney , Australia.
authors.forename: Emma
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Quinn
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jit
authors.forename: Anthony T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Newall
mesh_terms: D017281:Cost of Illness; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D006801:Humans; D007252:Influenza Vaccines / Q000191:economics*; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000191:economics; D014611:Vaccination / Q000191:economics*
chemical_list: D007252:Influenza Vaccines
keywords: cost-effectiveness; disease impact; economic evaluation; influenza; quadrivalent; vaccination