Evaluating the Economic Benefit of Improved High-Dose Influenza Vaccine Coverage in the Elderly Population of Tokyo, Japan
Author(s)
Mizuha Kobayashi, MSc1, Gerald Moncayo, DPhil2, Xinyu Wang, MBA, PhD1.
1Sanofi Japan, Tokyo, Japan, 2Sanofi France, Lyon, France.
1Sanofi Japan, Tokyo, Japan, 2Sanofi France, Lyon, France.
OBJECTIVES: Influenza vaccine coverage rate (VCR) in Japan has significantly fluctuated, influenced by policy shifts from mandatory vaccination to individual choice, public health crises such as COVID-19, and emerging vaccine fatigue. This research investigates the potential effect of improving VCR levels on the budget impact of implementing high-dose influenza vaccine (HD) compared to standard-dose influenza vaccine (SD) in the elderly population in Tokyo.
METHODS: 2023 national and prefectural VCR was analyzed from the Portal Site of Official Statistics of Japan, complemented by historical records from Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare. The analysis incorporated VCR for elderly over 65 years in Tokyo in 2023 (48.4%) and three national VCR records - 28% (lowest in 2001), 65.6% (highest in in 2020), 54.3% in 2023 (recent). The budget impact model was created integrating clinical outcomes (i.e., general practitioner visits, emergency room (ER) visits, and hospitalizations) and associated costs from a Japanese Burden of Disease study. Two analytical approaches were developed: One focusing solely on influenza and another encompassing pneumonia and influenza (P&I) related hospitalizations to capture the additional benefits offered by HD transition.
RESULTS: The transition from SD to HD yielded clinical impact and cost reductions across all VCR thresholds in both approaches. Using Tokyo's VCR of 48.4%, the analysis estimated savings of 130,405,324JPY in GP visits, 1,943,518JPY in ER visits. Reductions specific to influenza-related hospitalizations reached 301,821,325JPY, while the P&I scenario increased hospitalization reductions to 2,064,932,266JPY. VCR of 65% showed lower budget impact across all health outcomes, with additional hospitalization savings of 107,174,315JPY in influenza only and 733,241,480JPY in the P&I approach.
CONCLUSIONS: Higher VCR coupled with comprehensive consideration of influenza's complications, translated into a lower budget impact, having significant potential for reducing healthcare expenditure, mitigating the burden on healthcare providers during the flu season, and contributing towards a sustainable healthcare system.
METHODS: 2023 national and prefectural VCR was analyzed from the Portal Site of Official Statistics of Japan, complemented by historical records from Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare. The analysis incorporated VCR for elderly over 65 years in Tokyo in 2023 (48.4%) and three national VCR records - 28% (lowest in 2001), 65.6% (highest in in 2020), 54.3% in 2023 (recent). The budget impact model was created integrating clinical outcomes (i.e., general practitioner visits, emergency room (ER) visits, and hospitalizations) and associated costs from a Japanese Burden of Disease study. Two analytical approaches were developed: One focusing solely on influenza and another encompassing pneumonia and influenza (P&I) related hospitalizations to capture the additional benefits offered by HD transition.
RESULTS: The transition from SD to HD yielded clinical impact and cost reductions across all VCR thresholds in both approaches. Using Tokyo's VCR of 48.4%, the analysis estimated savings of 130,405,324JPY in GP visits, 1,943,518JPY in ER visits. Reductions specific to influenza-related hospitalizations reached 301,821,325JPY, while the P&I scenario increased hospitalization reductions to 2,064,932,266JPY. VCR of 65% showed lower budget impact across all health outcomes, with additional hospitalization savings of 107,174,315JPY in influenza only and 733,241,480JPY in the P&I approach.
CONCLUSIONS: Higher VCR coupled with comprehensive consideration of influenza's complications, translated into a lower budget impact, having significant potential for reducing healthcare expenditure, mitigating the burden on healthcare providers during the flu season, and contributing towards a sustainable healthcare system.
Conference/Value in Health Info
2025-11, ISPOR Europe 2025, Glasgow, Scotland
Value in Health, Volume 28, Issue S2
Code
EE440
Topic
Economic Evaluation
Topic Subcategory
Budget Impact Analysis
Disease
Geriatrics, Respiratory-Related Disorders (Allergy, Asthma, Smoking, Other Respiratory), Vaccines