Cost-effectiveness studies and economic evaluations
Varicella vaccine strategies for Australia
In collaboration with the Centre for Health Economics Research and Evaluation (CHERE) at the University of Sydney an evaluation of varicella vaccination strategies in Australia was undertaken using a variety of data sources (Reference 11). An infant vaccination program was found to be the most cost-effective. However, a vaccination program would be cost-saving only if societal costs (estimated to be 80% of the costs of varicella to the community) as well as health-care costs were included. Studies in USA, New Zealand, Germany and France have shown similar results. (Reference 49)
Hepatitis B vaccine
A report about a universal neonatal dose has been prepared for the Australian Technical Advisory Group (ATAGI). A preliminary cost-effectiveness analysis showed that implementation of a universal neonatal dose of hepatitis B vaccine would be cost-saving in those States and Territories where maternal screening for chronic hepatitis B infection is not fully implemented. However, when the fact that several States and Territories have effective screening programs in place is taken into account, the universal neonatal program will have a modest but definite marginal additional cost. (Reference 85)
Vaccines likely to be licensed in Australia in the future
The estimated costs and benefits from varicella vaccine, conjugated pneumococcal vaccine and inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) (alone or in combination) were studied in collaboration with Professor Jim Butler, of the National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health. Both the addition of these vaccines to the publicly funded component of the Australian Immunisation Schedule, and their possible impact if they were available only in the private sector, were assessed, using the United States Institute of Medicine model for comparing the economic benefits of new vaccines. The study concluded that introducing IPV into the Australian childhood immunisation schedule is not likely to be cost-effective unless it comes in a combined vaccine with the IPV-component price below $10.
Costs and benefits of increasing pneumococcal vaccination coverage among older Victorians
This project includes a detailed analysis of surveillance and vaccine coverage data for Victoria, the only State with a publicly funded pneumococcal vaccination program (since 1998) for older people.