Abstract
BackgroundAs part of the national seasonal influenza vaccination programme in England and Wales, children receive a quadrivalent vaccine offering protection against two influenza A strains and two influenza B strains. Healthy children receive a quadrivalent live attenuated influenza vaccine (QLAIV), whilst children with contraindications receive the quadrivalent inactivated influenza vaccine (QIIV). Individuals aged younger than 65 years in the clinical risk populations and elderly individuals aged 65+ years receive either a trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine (TIIV) offering protection from two A strains and one B strain or the QIIV at the choice of their general practitioner.The cost-effectiveness of quadrivalent vaccine programmes is an open question. The original analysis that supported the paediatric programme only considered a trivalent live attenuated vaccine (LAIV). The cost-effectiveness of the QIIV to other patients has not been established. We sought to estimate the cost-effectiveness of these programmes, establishing a maximum incremental total cost per dose of quadrivalent vaccines over trivalent vaccines.MethodsWe used the same mathematical model as the analysis that recommended the introduction of the paediatric influenza vaccination programme. The incremental cost of the quadrivalent vaccine is the additional cost over that of the existing trivalent vaccine currently in use.ResultsIntroducing quadrivalent vaccines can be cost-effective for all targeted groups. However, the cost-effectiveness of the programme is dependent on the choice of target cohort and the cost of the vaccines: the paediatric programme is cost-effective with an increased cost of £6.36 per dose, though an extension to clinical risk individuals younger than 65 years old and further to all elderly individuals means the maximum incremental cost is £1.84 and £0.20 per dose respectively.ConclusionsQuadrivalent influenza vaccines will bring substantial health benefits, as they are cost-effective in particular target groups.
Highlights
As part of the national seasonal influenza vaccination programme in England and Wales, children receive a quadrivalent vaccine offering protection against two influenza A strains and two influenza B strains
In England, seasonal influenza vaccination is offered to several population groups: elderly individuals aged 65 years and older; clinical risk groups; and more recently the Department of Health has started the incremental introduction of the offer of vaccination to healthy children aged 2–16 years
A cost-effectiveness analysis [3] demonstrated that a trivalent live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) offered to this cohort would be very cost-effective (£1949 per quality-adjusted life year, Quality-adjusted life year (QALY)) and would bring substantial public health benefits in the form of reduced health care resource use through both direct protection to children and indirect protection to both the clinical risk groups and elderly individuals
Summary
As part of the national seasonal influenza vaccination programme in England and Wales, children receive a quadrivalent vaccine offering protection against two influenza A strains and two influenza B strains. Individuals aged younger than 65 years in the clinical risk populations and elderly individuals aged 65+ years receive either a trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine (TIIV) offering protection from two A strains and one B strain or the QIIV at the choice of their general practitioner. In England, seasonal influenza vaccination is offered to several population groups: elderly individuals aged 65 years and older; clinical risk groups; and more recently the Department of Health has started the incremental introduction of the offer of vaccination to healthy children aged 2–16 years. A cost-effectiveness analysis [3] demonstrated that a trivalent live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) offered to this cohort would be very cost-effective (£1949 per quality-adjusted life year, QALY) and would bring substantial public health benefits in the form of reduced health care resource use through both direct protection to children and indirect protection to both the clinical risk groups and elderly individuals. For all individuals in clinical risk groups the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) recommends the quadrivalent inactivated influenza vaccines (QIIVs) as being preferable to the trivalent inactivated influenza vaccines (TIIVs) with all other things being equal [7]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
