MODELING THE POTENTIAL PUBLIC HEALTH AND ECONOMIC IMPACT OF COVID VACCINATION IN TAIWAN: RESULTS FROM 2023-2024 RESPIRATORY SEASON...
Author(s)
Ben Yarnoff, PhD1, Carlos Fernando Mendoza, PhD2, Hannah Volkman, PhD3, Ya-Min Yang, MSc, PhD, MD4, Jingyan Yang, DrPH5.
1Thermo Fisher Scientific, Siler City, NC, USA, 2Pfizer, Mexico City, Mexico, 3Pfizer Inc., New York, NY, USA, 4Pfizer, Taipei, Taiwan, 5HEOR, Pfizer Inc., New York, NY, USA.
1Thermo Fisher Scientific, Siler City, NC, USA, 2Pfizer, Mexico City, Mexico, 3Pfizer Inc., New York, NY, USA, 4Pfizer, Taipei, Taiwan, 5HEOR, Pfizer Inc., New York, NY, USA.
OBJECTIVES: This study assessed the public health and economic impact of COVID vaccination in Taiwan.
METHODS: A combined Markov and decision tree model was used to estimate the public health and economic impact of vaccination strategies targeting various age groups in Taiwan over a one-year time horizon. Age-stratified annual rates of infection, hospitalization, and death, and vaccine coverage rates were informed by local surveillance data. Other age-stratified clinical, cost, and vaccine effectiveness parameters were informed by published literature.
RESULTS: In the base case, a vaccination strategy targeting individuals aged ≥65 years and the immunocompromised population aged 18-64 years was estimated to avert 11,987 symptomatic cases, 66 deaths, 1,014 hospitalizations, and 849 lost quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) at current levels of observed uptake. This resulted in medical cost savings of $9.9 million (excluding any vaccination costs) and total societal cost savings of $13.0 million. A vaccination strategy targeting individuals aged ≥50 years and the immunocompromised population aged 18-49 years was estimated to avert 19,491 cases, 69 deaths, 1,414 hospitalizations, and 993 lost QALYs and save $14.0 million in direct medical costs and $31.8 million in total societal costs.
CONCLUSIONS: A vaccination strategy targeting individuals aged ≥65 years and those aged 18-64 years with immunocompromising conditions yields substantial public health and economic gains annually. Including a broader range of ages in vaccination strategies could be an important public health strategy and leads to a substantial decrease healthcare resource utilization.
METHODS: A combined Markov and decision tree model was used to estimate the public health and economic impact of vaccination strategies targeting various age groups in Taiwan over a one-year time horizon. Age-stratified annual rates of infection, hospitalization, and death, and vaccine coverage rates were informed by local surveillance data. Other age-stratified clinical, cost, and vaccine effectiveness parameters were informed by published literature.
RESULTS: In the base case, a vaccination strategy targeting individuals aged ≥65 years and the immunocompromised population aged 18-64 years was estimated to avert 11,987 symptomatic cases, 66 deaths, 1,014 hospitalizations, and 849 lost quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) at current levels of observed uptake. This resulted in medical cost savings of $9.9 million (excluding any vaccination costs) and total societal cost savings of $13.0 million. A vaccination strategy targeting individuals aged ≥50 years and the immunocompromised population aged 18-49 years was estimated to avert 19,491 cases, 69 deaths, 1,414 hospitalizations, and 993 lost QALYs and save $14.0 million in direct medical costs and $31.8 million in total societal costs.
CONCLUSIONS: A vaccination strategy targeting individuals aged ≥65 years and those aged 18-64 years with immunocompromising conditions yields substantial public health and economic gains annually. Including a broader range of ages in vaccination strategies could be an important public health strategy and leads to a substantial decrease healthcare resource utilization.
Conference/Value in Health Info
2026-09, ISPOR Asia Pacific 2026, Bangkok, Thailand
Value in Health, Volume 55, Issue S1
Code
EE72
Topic
Economic Evaluation
Disease
SDC: Respiratory-Related Disorders (Allergy, Asthma, Smoking, Other Respiratory), STA: Vaccines