HIB VACCINE IS WORTH THE MONEY
A study conducted by French researchers last year analyzed the cost-effectiveness of
systematic vaccination against Haemophilus influenza type b (Hib).
Haemophilus influenza type b often causes severe bacterial meningitis in young children.
This form of meningitis is a serious infection of the membranes surrounding the brain and
spinal cord and often results in death or neurological disorders, including mental
retardation.
Effective vaccines to protect against Hib have been available in the US since the late
1980’s and have been very successful in reducing the incidence of the disease. In
other countries, the cost to widely utilize the vaccine is a major barrier to its use.
In this French study, researchers hypothesized a situation where the Hib vaccine would be
added to an already widely used vaccine that included tetanus, poliomyelitis, whooping
cough, and diphtheria, and compared it to the situation without Hib vaccination.
Their conclusion was that in ten years such a vaccination program in France would prevent
9,731 cases of Hib disease and 252 deaths. The French government has now taken action to
authorize reimbursement of the pentavalent vaccine.
(A. Livartowski, J. Boucher, B. Detourmay, P. Reinert. “Cost-effectiveness evaluation
of vaccination against Haemophilus influenza invasive diseases in France”. Vaccine,
Volume 14, Number 6, pages 495-500, 1996.)
Back to Issue - March 1997
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