Meningitis C vaccine is cost effective

The introduction of meningococcal C vaccine in the UK in 1999 has rapidly and substantially reduced the incidence of meningitis in young people and is cost effective, finds a study in this week’s BMJ.

Researchers at the Public Health Laboratory Service in London assessed the cost effectiveness of the vaccination campaign in people aged 0-17 years.

Immediately before the introduction of the vaccine, the burden of meningitis C was considerable, with an estimated 1,137 cases in people aged 0-17 years and at least 72 deaths annually. The vaccination campaign is estimated to have cost between £126m ($180m) and £241m ($343m) and the cost per life year saved is estimated to be £6,259 ($8919).

School based vaccination was more cost effective than routine vaccination of infants because delivery costs are lower and fewer doses are required, conclude the authors.

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