Volume 5, Number 3—June 1999
Perspective
The Cost Effectiveness of Vaccinating against Lyme Disease
Table 3
Base treatment costsb x 0.5 |
Base treatment costsc | Base treatment costsb x 1.5 |
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---|---|---|---|---|---|
Probability of Lyme disease | Vaccine effectivenessd |
Vaccine effectivenessd |
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0.75 | 0.95 | 0.85 | 0.75 | 0.95 | |
0.005 | 23,018 | 17,404 | 16,231 | 15,720 | 10,105 |
(23,527; 22,556) | (17,947; 16,927) | (17,283; 15,261) | (17,249;14,286) | (11,641;8,703) | |
0.01 | 9,684 | 6,877 | 4,467 | 2,386 | Net savingse |
(10,178; 9197) | (7,372; 6,412) | (5,531; 3,487) | (3,846; 958) | (1,220; savee) | |
0.03 | 795 | Net savingse | Net savingse | Net savingse | Net savingse |
(1,303; 330) | (385; savee) | (save; savee) | (save; savee) | (save; savee) |
aThese results were generated by setting the probability of detecting and successfully treating early Lyme disease at 0.80 and the cost of vaccination at $100 per year.
bBase treatment costs are given in Table 2. The data presented in this table were generated by multiplying the costs in Table 2 by either 0.5 (i.e., reducing costs by half) or by 1.5 (i.e. increasing costs by half).
cFor comparison, the results using the base costs (Table 2) are presented here, assuming a vaccine effectiveness of 0.85. Figure 2 presents the complete set of results using the base costs.
dThe initial assumed level of vaccine effectiveness was 0.85 (Figure 2).
eNet savings are generated when a person is vaccinated against Lyme disease and the costs saved by not having to treat a case of Lyme disease are higher than the costs of vaccination plus the costs of having to treat a case of Lyme disease that occurs after vaccination. The net savings range from $140 (probability of Lyme disease = 0.03, vaccine effectiveness = 0.95, cost of treating Lyme disease sequelae = 0.5 x base costs) to $7,438 (probability of Lyme disease = 0.03, vaccine effectiveness = 0.95, cost of treating Lyme disease sequelae =1.5 x base costs). Note also that in some instances where mean net savings are calculated, the 5th percentiles are net costs.