Chickenpox vaccine saves millions in hospital costs

	Tweet

The recommendation by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) in 1995 that all children in the US be given the chickenpox vaccine seems to have paid off handsomely, a study indicates.

“The results show an annual savings of $100 million since the (chickenpox) vaccine was introduced, just in the cost of hospital care for people with severe cases,” lead author Dr. Matthew M. Davis, from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, said in a statement. “That’s greater than the savings predicted in the vaccine’s pre-approval analysis.”

The findings, which appear in the medical journal Pediatrics, are based on an analysis of chickenpox-related hospitalizations and costs from 1993 to 2001.

Prior to the AAP’s recommendation, the annual chickenpox-related hospitalization rate was more than 0.5 hospitalizations per 10,000 US population. By 1999, this rate was 0.26 per 10,000 and by 2000, the rate had halved again to just 0.13 per 10,000.

Although people of all ages experienced a drop in hospitalization rates, the effect was most pronounced for the primary target of the vaccine—children younger than 4 years of age.

As expected the reduction in hospitalization rates translated into a drop in hospital charges. In 1993, chickenpox-related hospital charges were $161.1 million, more than double the amount in 2001—$66.3 million.

“These findings support the hypothesis that national (chickenpox) vaccination efforts are associated with decreased rates of severe...disease,” the investigators conclude.

SOURCE: Pediatrics, September 2004.

RELATED STORIES:
Why don’t more nearsighted Chinese kids wear glasses?   Kids With Chronic Illness, Disability More Apt to Be Bullied   Fatty liver common in children   Kids need outside playtime, researchers say   Snoring may affect kids’ mental abilities   Surgery better than diet, exercise in obese teens   Babies absorb nicotine even when parents smoke outdoors   Screen time linked to psychological problems in children   5 Tips for Buying the Safest Toys for Kids This Holiday Season   Pediatric flu vaccination: Understanding low acceptance rates could help increase coverage   For kids with ADHD, regular ‘green time’ is linked to milder symptoms   Video games seen good for children

Comments

[ + Post Your Own ]

Now you're in the public comment zone. What follows is not Armenian Medical Network's stuff; it comes from other people and we don't vouch for it. A reminder: By using this Web site you agree to accept our Terms of Service. Click here to read the Rules of Engagement.

There are no comments for this entry yet. [ + Comment here + ]