Cost-Effectiveness of Herpes Zoster Vaccine for Persons Aged 50 Years
2015
This article reports on a cost-effectiveness analysis of the original herpes zoster (HZ) vaccine (ZVL) that at the time of this study was approved for persons age 50+. The authors used a Markov model to simulate adults aged 50 years over a lifetime from a societal perspective; outcomes included the number of HZ and postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) cases prevented and the incremental cost per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) saved. Their focus was on the cost effectiveness of vaccination for the 50-59 year age group.
For every 1000 persons receiving the vaccine at age 50 years, 25 HZ cases and 1 PHN case could be prevented. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) for HZ vaccine versus no vaccine was $323,456 per QALY. In sensitivity analyses, the only variables that produced an ICER less than $100 000 per QALY were vaccine cost (at a value of $80) and the rate at which efficacy wanes.
The authors concluded that herpes zoster vaccine for persons aged 50 years does not seem to represent good value according to generally accepted standards. This supported the decision of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices not to recommend the vaccine for adults in this age group at the time the paper was published.
Note: This article was published before the release of the newer herpes zoster subunit (HZ/su) vaccine.
Cost-Effectiveness of Herpes Zoster Vaccine for Persons Aged 50 Years
Source:
Le P, Rothberg MB. Cost-Effectiveness of Herpes Zoster Vaccine for Persons Aged 50 Years. Annals of Internal Medicine 2015; 163 (7): 489-497. https://doi.org/10.7326/M15-0093
Not open access.