- ‘First-of-its-kind’ study shows that adult immunisation
programmes return up to 19 times their initial investment when the
full spectrum of benefits is valued
- The findings highlight the opportunity to ease pressures on
health systems by adopting a prevention-first mindset that includes
adult immunisation programmes
- The report comes ahead of World Immunisation Week and reveals
substantial variation between countries of the availability of
evidence for valuing adult vaccination
A new report published today reveals that adult vaccination
programmes can return up to 19 times their initial investment when
the full spectrum of economic and societal benefits is valued. The
19x return is equivalent to up to USD 4,637 in net monetary
benefits to society per individual full vaccination course.
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Learn more about the economic benefits of
investing in adult immunisation programmes in a new study by the
Office of Health Economics (OHE). Graphic: OHE
The study, a first-of-its-kind analysis of adult immunisation
programmes by the Office of Health Economics (OHE) and commissioned
by IFPMA (1), looked at four adult vaccines across ten countries
where they are available to determine the wider economic and social
impact.
Focusing on vaccines that protect against influenza (flu),
pneumococcal disease, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and herpes
zoster (shingles), the research looks at the delivery of vaccine
programmes in countries that represent a range of healthcare
systems, demographics, and vaccine schedules - Australia, Brazil,
France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Poland, South Africa, Thailand, and
the United States.
The report concludes that the vaccination programmes deliver
substantial returns on government investment through cost savings
within healthcare systems and wider socio-economic benefits.
Preventing illness reduces doctor and hospital visits, meaning
valuable resources can be allocated elsewhere, and ensuring a
healthy and active workforce throughout life can boost economic
productivity.
The data also demonstrates that adult immunisation can deliver
socio-economic returns proportional to childhood immunisation
programmes (2). Despite this, access to adult vaccination is
inconsistent around the world, with limited inclusion in routine
immunisation schedules.
Professor Lotte Steuten, Deputy CEO of OHE, and co-author of
the report, said:
“Increasing pressures on ailing healthcare systems, such as
ageing populations, are driving an urgent need to shift to a
prevention-first mindset. Our report sets out a compelling case for
adult immunisation programmes playing a key role in the shift to
prevention.
“Our findings show that costs are offset multiple times over by
benefits to society when governments invest in adult immunisation
programmes. These returns are realised through benefits to
individuals, families, and communities, providing a clear call to
action to countries not already implementing or expanding robust
vaccination schedules.”
The researchers used an established vaccine value framework to
gather evidence but discovered a lack of data across many elements.
This finding, coupled with a lack of agreed methods for capturing
some elements, means the positive returns shown are likely to be
underestimates of the full value that adult vaccines bring to
society.
The report has been released ahead of the WHO’s World
Immunisation Week, and addressing such evidence gaps will be
critical in meeting the ambition of the Immunization Agenda 2030.
This includes a strategic priority to ensure that ‘all people
benefit from recommended immunizations throughout the life-course’
and explicitly outlines the need for data guided
implementation.
Laetitia Bigger, IFPMA Vaccines Policy Director,
added:
“This important study widens the lens to demonstrate that adult
vaccination programmes are delivering real benefits for health
systems and societies across the globe.
“Vaccines are one of the most effective public health measures
and can also be a powerful driver of more productive economies and
resilient societies.
“It is critical that these benefits are better understood if we
are to ensure that people who can benefit from adult immunisation
programmes are able to access them.”
Maarten Postma, Professor in Pharmacoeconomics at the
University of Groningen (Netherlands) and reviewer of the report’s
methodology, commented:
“Assessing the value of adult immunisation provides policymakers
with a clearer picture of the associated benefits and costs. This
comprehensive report looked at four adult vaccines internationally
and employed a rigorous methodological framework to assess their
value."
(1) The International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers
and Associations (IFPMA) is the innovative pharmaceutical
industry’s representative in official relations with the United
Nations.
(2) Using the value-of-a-statistical-life approach, return on
investment for 10 childhood vaccination programmes was 51.0 from
2011 to 2020 and 52.2 from 2021 to 2030 (Source:
https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/10.1377/hlthaff.2020.00103).
- ENDS -
Notes to editors
About the report
The full report ‘The Socio-Economic Value of Adult Immunisation
Programmes’ is available at:
https://www.ohe.org/publications/the-socio-economic-value-of-adult-immunisation-programmes/
About OHE
With over 60 years of expertise, the Office of Health Economics
(OHE) is the world’s oldest independent health economics research
organisation. Every day we work to improve health care through
pioneering and innovative research, analysis, and education.
As a global thought leader and publisher in the economics of
health, health care, and life sciences, we partner with
Universities, Government, health systems and the pharmaceutical
industry to research and respond to global health challenges.
As a government–recognised Independent Research Organisation and
not–for–profit, our international reputation for the quality and
independence of our research is at the forefront of all we do. OHE
provides independent and pioneering resources, research and
analyses in health economics, health policy and health statistics.
Our work informs decision–making about health care and
pharmaceutical issues at a global level.
All of our work is available for free online at www.ohe.org
About IFPMA
The International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and
Associations (IFPMA) represents over 90 innovative pharmaceutical
companies and associations around the world. Our industry’s almost
three million employees discover, develop, and deliver medicines
and vaccines that advance global health. Based in Geneva, IFPMA has
official relations with the United Nations and contributes industry
expertise to help the global health community improve the lives of
people everywhere. For more information, visit ifpma.org.
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