title: Budget impact analysis of universal rotavirus vaccination in the Local Health Unit 11 Empoli, Tuscany, Italy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Rotavirus (RV) infection is the first cause of acute viral gastroenteritis in children under five years of age all over the world; it mainly affects children between six and 24 months of age and can cause serious acute diarrhoea and dehydration. The aim of this study is to perform the budget impact analysis of universal rotavirus vaccination in the Local Health Unit (LHU) 11 Empoli, Tuscany, Italy.
  
  
  METHODS
  An ad hoc mathematical simulation model was developed to evaluate the budget impact analysis of 5-years universal rotavirus vaccination. Particularly, incidence of rotavirus gastroenteritis (RVGE), hospitalizations, nosocomial diarrhoea, medical consultations, prescriptions and accesses to emergency department were taken into account in the analysis. The direct medical costs due to RV diarrhoea and the costs of vaccination campaign were considered as the main outcome measures in the study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The adoption of universal rotavirus vaccination campaign for five years in the LHU 11 Empoli would result in relevant savings due to the health cares avoided. These savings would overlapped the costs of vaccination yet from the second year after the introduction of vaccination. The saving for the Health Service would be 1.5 million Euro after five years of campaign.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Universal vaccination against rotavirus results clinically and economically favourable for both the Health Service and the Society perspectives.
authors.affiliation: Specialization in Hygiene and Preventive Medicine, University of Florence, Italy;
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Guarducci
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Italy;
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lorini
authors.affiliation: Specialization in Hygiene and Preventive Medicine, University of Florence, Italy;
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Balli
authors.affiliation: Specialization in Hygiene and Preventive Medicine, University of Florence, Italy;
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Donzellini
authors.affiliation: Department of Prevention, Unit of Hygiene and Public Health/Sport Medicine, Local Health Unit 11, Empoli, Italy;
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Filidei
authors.affiliation: Department of Prevention, Unit of Hygiene and Public Health/Sport Medicine, Local Health Unit 11, Empoli, Italy;
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mugnaini
authors.affiliation: Department of Prevention, Unit of Hygiene and Public Health/Sport Medicine, Local Health Unit 11, Empoli, Italy;
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Department of Prevention, Unit of Hygiene and Public Health/Sport Medicine, Local Health Unit 11, Empoli, Italy;
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mazzoni
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Florence.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bonaccorsi
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Italy;
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bonanni
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Italy;
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Boccalini
keywords: Budget impact; Rotavirus; Vaccination