Economic Evaluation of Vaccination Programs: The Impact of Herd-Immunity

M. Brisson and W. J. Edmunds

Medical Decision Making, 2003, vol. 23, issue 1, 76-82

Abstract: The unique characteristic of vaccination is that it not only reduces the incidence of disease in those immunized but also indirectly protects nonvaccinated susceptibles against infection (produces herd-immunity). The bulk of economic evaluations of vaccination programs continue to use models that cannot take into account the indirect effects produced by herd-immunity. Here, the authors illustrate the importance of incorporating herd-immunity externalities when assessing the cost-effectiveness of vaccination programs. To do this, they compare 2 methods of estimating the benefits of routine mass vaccination: one that includes herd-immunity (dynamic approach) and one that does not (static approach). Finally, they use the results to clarify a number of misconceptions that are common in the literature concerning herd immunity and dynamical effects produced by models.

Date: 2003
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (16)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:medema:v:23:y:2003:i:1:p:76-82

DOI: 10.1177/0272989X02239651

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