This study evaluated the costs and cost-effectiveness of a school-based grade 6 universal vaccination program against hepatitis B.
We performed a descriptive cost study and cost-effectiveness analysis of British Columbia's vaccination program for 1994 and 1995. Since 1992, public health nurses have administered hepatitis B vaccine to grade 6 students in schools. We measured costs of vaccine, vaccine administration, and net program costs and used a validated Markov model to calculate the cost-effectiveness of the program.
Vaccinating each student cost $44, $24 of which was the cost of vaccine administration. The net cost was $9 per person; considering productivity costs, net savings were $75 per person. Marginal cost per life year gained was $2100. Universal adolescent vaccination is also economically attractive in the United States but less attractive in regions with incidence rates below 3 cases per 100,000 per year.
Hepatitis B vaccine can be delivered in North American schools at a reasonable cost. Adolescent vaccination is economically attractive in North American regions of high and average incidence rates. Our analysis supports vaccination in adolescents who remain at risk for hepatitis B virus infection.
Notes
Cites: Bull World Health Organ. 1980;58(4):621-86969134
Cites: Hepatology. 1995 Aug;22(2):432-87543434
Cites: JAMA. 1988 Jan 15;259(3):365-92961895
Cites: Cancer. 1988 May 15;61(10):1942-562834034
Cites: Am J Med. 1989 Sep 4;87(3A):5S-10S2773982
Cites: Inquiry. 1990 Winter;27(4):332-432148306
Cites: Ann Intern Med. 1993 Feb 15;118(4):298-3068420448
Cites: JAMA. 1995 Oct 18;274(15):1201-87563509
Cites: JAMA. 1995 Oct 18;274(15):1209-137563510
Cites: Med Decis Making. 1993 Jan-Mar;13(1):4-208433635