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. 2024 Dec 31;20(1):2385175.
doi: 10.1080/21645515.2024.2385175. Epub 2024 Aug 19.

Cost-benefit analysis of the National Immunization Program in Spain

Alberto Pérez  1 , María Fernández Prada  2 , Natalia Cassinello  3 , Laura Amanda Vallejo-Aparicio  4 , Andrea García  4 , Almudena González  5 , Ana Durán  5 , Néboa Zozaya  5 , Irene Fernández  5 , Mathilde Daheron  5 , Álvaro Hidalgo  6   7 , Ekkehard Beck  8 , Antonio García Ruiz  9
Affiliations

Cost-benefit analysis of the National Immunization Program in Spain

Alberto Pérez et al. Hum Vaccin Immunother. .

Abstract

Broad benefits of vaccination programs are well acknowledged but difficult to measure, especially when considering all vaccines included in a National Immunization Program (NIP). The aim was to conduct a cost-benefit analysis of the entire NIP in Spain, and an expanded NIP including four potential additional programs. A cost-benefit analysis was performed in Excel to assess the economic and health benefits (€) of vaccinating a single cohort of newborns over a lifetime horizon compared to no vaccination, from a societal perspective: firstly, according to the 2020 NIP in Spain (including 2021 recommendation for herpes zoster in 65-year-olds); and secondly, with an expanded NIP (adding rotavirus and meningococcal B in infants, and pertussis booster in adults aged >65 years and herpes zoster in all adults >50 years). The main inputs were taken from published literature and Spanish databases. Results were presented as a benefit-cost ratio (economic benefit per €1 invested). A cohort of 343,126 newborns were included in the analysis. The total investment needed to vaccinate the cohort throughout their lifetime, according to the 2020 NIP and the expanded NIP, was estimated at €168.5 million and €275.5 million, respectively. Potential economic benefits were €772.2 million and €803.0 million, respectively. The societal benefit-cost ratio was €4.58 and €2.91 per €1 invested, respectively. Even with the addition of new vaccination programs, the Spanish NIP yielded positive benefit-cost ratios from the societal perspective, demonstrating that NIPs spanning the full life course are an efficient public health measure.

Keywords: Cost–benefit analysis; National Immunization Program; Spain; public health; vaccination.

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Conflict of interest statement

Andrea Garcia and Laura Vallejo are employees of GSK. Laura Vallejo holds financial equities in GSK. Ekkehard Beck was employed by GSK at the time the study was carried out, he is currently employed by Moderna, and he declares holding stock in this company. Alvaro Hidalgo, president of Foundation Weber, declares that this entity received fees from GSK for conducting this study. Almudena Gonzalez-Dominguez, Mathilde Daheron, Néboa Zozaya González, Irene Fernández Meco and Ana Durán are employees of Vivactis Weber, that received fees from GSK for conducting this study. Antonio J Garcia Ruiz participated as a Weber consultant. Maria Fernandez Prada, Alberto Pérez Rubio and Natalia Cassinello received fees from GSK for their expert advice during study conduction. All authors declare no other financial or non-financial relationships and activities and no other conflicts of interest.

Figures

None
Graphical abstract
Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Vaccines included in the 2020 NIP and expanded NIP.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Number of cases averted (over time horizons) with the 2020 NIP and expanded NIP.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Benefit–cost ratio of the 2020 NIP and expanded NIP.
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
Deterministic sensitivity analysis results (changes to BCR with varying inputs).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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