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Economic evaluation of influenza vaccine applied to health personnel attending hospitalised oncological patients

Abstract:

Objective Performing a cost-effectiveness evaluation of influenza vaccine for health workers coming into close contact with oncological patients from the payer's point of view. Methods As no evidence was found for influenza vaccine effectiveness in oncological patients, the cost-effectiveness of applying the vaccine to health workers coming into close contact with oncological patients was calculated by means of a decision tree; the payer's point of view was adopted. Costs were evaluated in monetary units and effectiveness was measured by the reduction in length of hospital stay for cancer patients as a result of lesser probability of catching the disease because of vaccinating the health workers. Results Vaccinating health workers coming into close contact with cancer patients led to savings of $2 978 000 (US$1 324) per day of stay saved. Conclusions Vaccinating health workers coming into close contact with cancer patients proved cost-effective, returning health worker contagion probability higher than or equal to 0.02.