OBJECTIVES: Pneumococcal disease remains one of the most common vaccine-preventable childhood morbidity cause, provoking invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) and non-invasive conditions, such as non bacteremic pneumonia and otitis media (OM). The 2023 Greek National Immunization program (NIP) includes both the 13-valent vaccine (PCV13) and 15-valent vaccine (PCV15).

METHODS: The model that has been used to receive the positive recommendation from the Greek HTA committee was utilized to estimate the epidemiological and economical gains from the inclusion of the PCV15 in the recent NIP. Two scenarios were examined; the Greek pediatric population (birth cohort: 82,700) would receive either PCV13 or PCV15. Averted morbidity, mortality, and incremental quality-adjusted life years (QALY) were estimated. Costs and future benefits were discounted by 3% annually.

RESULTS: Switching from PCV13 to PCV15 is expected to prevent 215 IPD cases, 100 pneumonia cases, 8590 OM cases and 25 IPD-related deaths over the next 5 years. Additionally, a PCV15-based strategy would provide 38 QALYs. Considering the cost of averted morbidity, a PCV15-based strategy is considered as highly cost effective, with a € 1,847 cost per QALY. The PCV-15-based vaccination strategy is cost-effective immediately (cost per QALY gained<threshold of €51,000), after only 4 years becomes highly cost-effective (cost per QALY gained<threshold of €17,000), and after 6 years will be a cost-saving intervention (cost per QALY<0).

CONCLUSIONS: The inclusion of the PCV15 in the 2023 NIP provides Greece with an opportunity to reduce further morbidity and mortality, as well as the costs incurred by the healthcare system by lowering the pneumococcal disease burden.