Cost-effectiveness of rotavirus vaccination in Turkey.
OBJECTIVE
Cost-effectiveness studies about rotavirus (RV) vaccination programs were performed in many countries due to the severe economic burden of RV infections. This study is an economic evaluation performed to assess the potential for introducing the RV vaccine to the Turkish National Immunization Program.


METHODS
In this retrospective clinical study, the records and laboratory findings of a total of 4126 patients admitted to Turgut Ozal University Hospital, Ankara, Turkey with acute gastroenteritis were analyzed. A model described by Parashar et al. was used to obtain the annual episodes of diarrhea, hospitalization and outpatients visits in Turkey. Monovalent and pentavalent vaccination was assumed to protect in average 85% of RV acute gastroenteritis. All costs are expressed in 2012 United States (US) $, where US$1 equals 1.8 Turkish Liras (TL). Losses of labor costs were not taken into consideration.


RESULTS
The vaccination program with 85% coverage was cost effective and cost saving compared to no vaccination. A projected birth cohort of 1.25 million children was followed until 5 years of age; a routine vaccination could potentially avert 210,994 cases of diarrhea treated in outpatient hospital facilities and 42,715 hospitalizations. The RV associated economic burden was obtained as US$17,909 million per year (US$14.33 per birth annually) in medical direct costs by using the national level of RV diarrhea disease burden estimates. For monovalent and pentavalent vaccination, assuming a cost of US$31.5 and US$38 per vaccine course, the cost of the vaccination program was estimated to be approximately US$37,878 million and US$45,475 million, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
At a cost per vaccine course of US$31.5 for monovalent and US$38 for pentavalent vaccine, routine RV vaccination could be potentially cost effective and also cost saving in Turkey. National RV vaccinations will play a significant role in preventing RV infections.
Department of Pediatrics, Ankara Pediatric and Pediatric Hematology Oncology Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
Tulin
T
Koksal
Department of Pediatrics, Kecioren Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
Ahmet Zulfikar
AZ
Akelma
Department of Pediatrics, Kecioren Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
Ali Osman
AO
Koksal
Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Turgut Ozal University, Ankara, Turkey.
Irem
I
Kutukoglu
Department of Pediatrics, Kecioren Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey. Electronic address: pedkard@gmail.com.
Osman
O
Ozdemir
Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Turgut Ozal University, Ankara, Turkey.
Cigdem Nuket
CN
Yuksel
Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey.
Davut
D
Bozkaya
Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Inonu University, Malatya, Turkey.
Ferhat
F
Catal
Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey.
Sinan
S
Sari
D002648:Child; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000517:prevention & control; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000191:economics; D006801:Humans; D017589:Immunization Programs / Q000191:economics*; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012401:Rotavirus / Q000472:pathogenicity; D012400:Rotavirus Infections / Q000191:economics / Q000517:prevention & control*; D022243:Rotavirus Vaccines / Q000191:economics*; D014421:Turkey; D014611:Vaccination / Q000191:economics*
D022243:Rotavirus Vaccines
cost effectiveness; gastroenteritis; hospitalized child; rotavirus; vaccination