Abstract
The objective of this study was to assess the budget impact and health effects of introducing rotavirus (RV) vaccination in Saxony, Germany, from a health insurance perspective. Special emphasis is given to the herd effect. We analyzed direct medical and non-medical costs of RV infection for Social Health Insurance between 2007 and 2010 based on 360,000 routine data observations from the AOK PLUS for children below 5 years of age. We compared the actual annual number of RV cases (vaccination scenario) with the number derived from 2005 (no vaccination, base case scenario). The vaccination coverage rate has increased from 5 % to 61 % between 2007 and 2010. The number of RV cases decreased by 21 % from 32,274 in 2007 to 25,614 in 2010. Based on vaccination coverage, the total cost savings per 1,000 children due to RV vaccination was estimated to be 39,686 Euros. The overall share of outpatient costs was 60 %. Mean gross cost savings were expected to be 304 Euros per avoided case. The net cost savings were expected to be 19 Euros per avoided case. About 59 % of total savings was due to herd protection resulting from increasing vaccine rates. The herd effect per avoided case increased with increasing vaccine coverage. Incidence of RV cases, vaccination costs and days absent from work were sensitive parameters. This retrospective analysis showed that the increase in RV vaccination coverage in Saxony has been budget neutral if not cost saving for sick funds.
Highlights
In Germany, rotavirus (RV) was the third most commonly reported cause of acute gastroenteritis (GE) during 2005 and 2010 and was the leading cause of acute GE in the last decade in children below 5 years of age [1]
We evaluated the benefits of implementation of RV vaccination in children below 5 years of age including protection conferred as a result of herd effect
As there is no plausible explanation for negative signs from a medical perspective, increasing awareness and changing communication about RV cases by medical professionals might have caused higher numbers of RV cases registered in the time period following the implementation of RV vaccina
Summary
In Germany, rotavirus (RV) was the third most commonly reported cause of acute gastroenteritis (GE) during 2005 and 2010 and was the leading cause of acute GE in the last decade in children below 5 years of age [1]. In Germany, laboratory-confirmed RVGE has been a notifiable disease since 2001 [1, 2]. As with other developed nations, RVGE disease burden constitutes a significant public health problem in Germany [1, 2, 6, 7]. Of the total number of RVGE cases reported in Germany in children below 5 years of age, 57 % were hospitalized [2, 8]
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
