Modelling a cost-effective vaccination strategy for the prevention of varicella and herpes zoster infection: A systematic review
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Author(s)
Hodgkinson, Brent
Wang, Tianjiao
Byrnes, Joshua
Scuffham, Paul
Year published
2021
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BACKGROUND: Varicella zoster virus (VZV) and its re-emergence as herpes zoster (HZ) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. While studies show that VZV vaccination is effective in reducing VZV incidence, many decision makers have not added VZV to their vaccination schedule, largely due to uncertainty surrounding the effect of VZV vaccination on HZ incidence (exogenous boosting, EB), and the cost-effectiveness (CE) of vaccination. METHODS: A systematic review was conducted to identify the current published evidence of CE of VZV vaccination strategies where both VZV and HZ incidence were modelled. RESULTS: Six ...
View more >BACKGROUND: Varicella zoster virus (VZV) and its re-emergence as herpes zoster (HZ) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. While studies show that VZV vaccination is effective in reducing VZV incidence, many decision makers have not added VZV to their vaccination schedule, largely due to uncertainty surrounding the effect of VZV vaccination on HZ incidence (exogenous boosting, EB), and the cost-effectiveness (CE) of vaccination. METHODS: A systematic review was conducted to identify the current published evidence of CE of VZV vaccination strategies where both VZV and HZ incidence were modelled. RESULTS: Six studies (one published in 2003 and five between 2010 and 2019), were identified with all conducting cost-utility analysis using a dynamic transmission modelling approach and assuming EB. All predicted that mass infant VZV vaccination would rapidly reduce VZV incidence, but HZ incidence would increase. Compared with no-vaccination, the CE of VZV vaccination strategies ranged from higher costs and poorer outcomes (dominated), towards CE (incremental cost-effectiveness ratios of between $7,000 to $61,000 USD), or lower cost and better outcomes (dominant). However, without EB, HZ incidence immediately dropped below pre-vaccination levels making VZV vaccination quickly CE and/or dominant to a no vaccination strategy. CONCLUSIONS: Current models are sensitive to assumptions of EB suggesting that future studies consider an agent-based modelling approach to address the individual nature of variables that determine the infectiousness of VZV.
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View more >BACKGROUND: Varicella zoster virus (VZV) and its re-emergence as herpes zoster (HZ) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. While studies show that VZV vaccination is effective in reducing VZV incidence, many decision makers have not added VZV to their vaccination schedule, largely due to uncertainty surrounding the effect of VZV vaccination on HZ incidence (exogenous boosting, EB), and the cost-effectiveness (CE) of vaccination. METHODS: A systematic review was conducted to identify the current published evidence of CE of VZV vaccination strategies where both VZV and HZ incidence were modelled. RESULTS: Six studies (one published in 2003 and five between 2010 and 2019), were identified with all conducting cost-utility analysis using a dynamic transmission modelling approach and assuming EB. All predicted that mass infant VZV vaccination would rapidly reduce VZV incidence, but HZ incidence would increase. Compared with no-vaccination, the CE of VZV vaccination strategies ranged from higher costs and poorer outcomes (dominated), towards CE (incremental cost-effectiveness ratios of between $7,000 to $61,000 USD), or lower cost and better outcomes (dominant). However, without EB, HZ incidence immediately dropped below pre-vaccination levels making VZV vaccination quickly CE and/or dominant to a no vaccination strategy. CONCLUSIONS: Current models are sensitive to assumptions of EB suggesting that future studies consider an agent-based modelling approach to address the individual nature of variables that determine the infectiousness of VZV.
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Journal Title
Vaccine
Copyright Statement
© 2021 Elsevier. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/) which permits unrestricted, non-commercial use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, providing that the work is properly cited.
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This publication has been entered as an advanced online version in Griffith Research Online.
Subject
Biological sciences
Agricultural, veterinary and food sciences
Biomedical and clinical sciences
Health sciences
Cost-effectiveness
Herpes zoster
Systematic review
Vaccination
Varicella