Hospital admissions would fall by more than 70,000 if vaccination advice implemented – report

There would be 73,731 fewer hospital admissions if the Government fully implemented vaccination programmes recommended by the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC), a new report reveals.

The Office of Health Economics (OHE) paper also found that 1,429 deaths and 16,555 life years could be saved if proposed programmes for the vaccination of influenza, pneumococcal disease, herpes zoster (shingles) and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are fully implemented.

Together, it found that these vaccination schemes would lead to the prevention of an estimated 375,807 disease cases.

Commissioned by pharmaceutical company GSK, ‘The Value of Adult Vaccination in Ireland’ concluded that adult vaccination provides up to €4.8 billion in net monetary benefits to society, the equivalent of up to €7,031 for each person’s individual vaccination course.

As a result, the full implementation of vaccination recommendations would lead to a return of up to €23 to society for every €1 spent by Government.

“Adult immunisation programmes in Ireland offset their costs multiple times through benefits to individuals, the healthcare system and wider society, and play a crucial role in enabling Irish people to live longer, healthier and better lives,” said OHE senior principal economist Simon Brassel.

“However, coverage and reimbursement decisions are often hampered by an underestimation of their full socioeconomic value. If all the NIAC recommended adult immunisation programmes studied were fully implemented we would see the generation of considerable societal value, on top of large health gains for individuals.”

Of the immunisation programmes studied for this report, none have as yet been fully implemented in Ireland, according to NIAC recommendations. Flu and pneumococcal disease are partially implemented, while RSV and shingles await implementation of a national immunisation programme, despite existing NIAC recommendations for both.

Benefit-cost ratio found in the report varied from €8 to €28 per €1 spent for flu, €3 to €9 for RSV, €22 to €51 for pneumococcal disease, and €2 to €5 for shingles. This translates to a net monetary benefit of up to €4.8 billion, the equivalent of €7,031 for an individual’s full vaccination course.

“These findings highlight the immense value and positive impact of adult immunisation programmes in Ireland,” pharmacist and former Fine Gael TD Kate O’Connell said.

“By investing in these programmes we not only protect individuals from diseases but also contribute to overall public health and alleviating pressure on our healthcare system.

“Euro for euro, vaccination is a highly effective way to alleviate the pressures on our health services and I hope the Government takes on board the compelling data in this report.”