Community and Patient Values for Preventing Herpes Zoster

In this 2008 article, the authors report on a survey to assess the value individuals place on preventing herpes zoster. The Zoster Vaccine Live (ZVL) was recommended for routine use in adults aged ≥60 years. Members of the population (“community members”, n= 527), patients with shingles (n= 382) or post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN, n = 137) completed an internet or telephone survey to assess the value they place on preventing herpes zoster. The authors used standard economic valuation techniques—the time trade off and contingent valuation (willingness to pay). In time trade-off questions, community members would give up a mean of 89 days to avoid a case of a mild herpes zoster and a mean of 162 days to avoid a very severe case. In willingness-to-pay questions, community members would pay a mean of $450 to avoid a mild case and $1,384 to avoid a very severe case (2005 US dollars). When patients were asked to assign a value to avoiding their own case of herpes zoster, those with shingles would give up a mean of 67 days or $2319, while those with PHN would give up a mean of 206 days or $18,184. The authors conclude that community members would trade substantial amounts of time or money to avoid herpes zoster, even in the least severe scenarios.

Note: This article was published before the release of the newer herpes zoster subunit (HZ/su) vaccine.