Effectiveness and Cost-Effectiveness of a general immunisation of infants and young children (2005)

HTA report – Effectiveness and Cost-Effectiveness of a general immunisation of infants and young children with heptavalent conjugated pneumococcal vaccine

The objective of the study is first to determine the efficacy and effectiveness of the immunisation of all children with the heptavalent conjugated pneumococcal vaccine in Germany and second, whether a general recommendation for vaccinat ion of all children would be cost-effective.

A systematic literature search was performed in 29 relevant databases for the period of January 1999 to June 2004. Thus 1,884 articles were identified which were then assessed according to predefined selection criteria.

At present, relatively few pneumococcal strains in Germany show antibiotic resistance. This situation shall further be observed while improving the data evidence for future decisions (epidemiologic data of incidence of pneumococcal diseases and serotyping of pneumococcal bacteria). From the economic perspective no distinct recommendation to add the conjugated vaccination for all children to the German vaccination scheme can be given. This situation may change if the price for the vaccine further decreases. Furthermore a future cost-effectiveness analysis for Germany should incorporate the effects of the replacement phenomenon, the herd immunisation effects and the effec ts of the vaccination on the antibiotic-resistant pneumococcal strains.

The report may be obtained for free at www.dimdi.de (abstract and summary in English).

ISSN: 1861-8863