Background: Rotavirus vaccination was included into the Norwegian childhood immunisation programme in 2014. Before implementation, rotavirus vaccination was found to be cost-effective from a societal perspective, but not from a healthcare perspective. Since introduction, new data on the incidence and economic effects of rotavirus disease have become available. We assessed early epidemiological effects of the rotavirus vaccination programme and re-evaluated its cost-effectiveness in Norway for the years 2015-2019.
Methods: Using a dynamic transmission model, we compared the epidemiological effects of the ongoing two-dose vaccination programme with Rotarix®, and a hypothetical 3-dose programme with RotaTeq® with no vaccination. A baseline cost of € 54 per fully vaccinated child was used. Cost-effectiveness was computed from a healthcare and societal perspective, using a decision analytical model. Data on healthcare use and costs, productivity losses and health utilities were based on published and own estimates. Uncertainty was accounted for in one-way, multi-way, and probabilistic sensitivity analyses.
Results: During 2015-2019, 114,658 home care cases, 34,571 primary care cases, 7,381 severe cases, and 2 deaths associated with rotavirus disease were avoided due to vaccination. Under baseline assumptions vaccination was cost-effective from a healthcare perspective with a cost per QALY of € 47,447 for Rotarix® and € 52,709 for RotaTeq®. The break-even price was € 70 for Rotarix® and € 67 for RotaTeq®. Vaccination was cost-saving from the societal perspective, and also from a healthcare perspective for vaccine prices below € 25 and € 22 per vaccinated child for Rotarix® and RotaTeq®, respectively.
Conclusion: Ongoing childhood rotavirus vaccination in Norway has reduced the rotavirus disease burden substantially, and is cost-effective compared with no vaccination.