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Assessing the Potential Cost-Effectiveness of Microneedle Patches in Childhood Measles Vaccination Programs: The Case for Further Research and Development

Friday, 6th of January 2017

Drugs R D. 2016 Dec;16(4):327-338.

Assessing the Potential Cost-Effectiveness of Microneedle Patches in Childhood Measles Vaccination Programs: The Case for Further Research and Development

Adhikari BB1, Goodson JL2, Chu SY2, Rota PA3, Meltzer MI4.

Author information

1Division of Preparedness and Emerging Infections, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, 1600 Clifton Road NE, MS-C18, Atlanta, GA, 30333, USA. bia6@cdc.gov.

2Global Immunization Division, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Center for Global Health, Atlanta, GA, USA.

3Division of Viral Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Atlanta, GA, USA.

4Division of Preparedness and Emerging Infections, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, 1600 Clifton Road NE, MS-C18, Atlanta, GA, 30333, USA.

Abstract below; full text is at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5114202/

OBJECTIVE:

Currently available measles vaccines are administered by subcutaneous injections and require reconstitution with a diluent and a cold chain, which is resource intensive and challenging to maintain. To overcome these challenges and potentially increase vaccination coverage, microneedle patches are being developed to deliver the measles vaccine. This study compares the cost-effectiveness of using microneedle patches with traditional vaccine delivery by syringe-and-needle (subcutaneous vaccination) in childrens measles vaccination programs.

METHODS:

We built a simple spreadsheet model to compute the vaccination costs for using microneedle patch and syringe-and-needle technologies. We assumed that microneedle vaccines will be, compared with current vaccines, more heat stable and require less expensive cool chains when used in the field. We used historical data on the incidence of measles among communities with low measles vaccination rates.

RESULTS:

The cost of microneedle vaccination was estimated at US$0.95 (range US$0.71-US$1.18) for the first dose, compared with US$1.65 (range US$1.24-US$2.06) for the first dose delivered by subcutaneous vaccination. At 95 % vaccination coverage, microneedle patch vaccination was estimated to cost US$1.66 per measles case averted (range US$1.24-US$2.07) compared with an estimated cost of US$2.64 per case averted (range US$1.98-US$3.30) using subcutaneous vaccination.

CONCLUSIONS:

Use of microneedle patches may reduce costs; however, the cost-effectiveness of patches would depend on the vaccine recipients acceptability and vaccine effectiveness of the patches relative to the existing conventional vaccine-delivery method. This study emphasizes the need to continue research and development of this vaccine-delivery method that could boost measles elimination efforts through improved access to vaccines and increased vaccination coverage.