Abstract and Introduction

This study assesses the cost–effectiveness of vaccination against herpes zoster (HZ) and postherpetic neuralgia in France, using a published Markov model. The cost–effectiveness of vaccinating individuals aged from 65 years or between 70 and 79 years was evaluated over their lifetime, from a third-party payer perspective. French-specific data were combined with results from clinical studies and international quality-of-life-based (EuroQol five-dimension questionnaire) utilities from the literature. HZ vaccination was highly cost effective in both populations. Incremental cost-effective ratios were estimated between €9513 and 12,304 per quality-adjusted life year gained, corresponding to €2240–2651 per HZ case avoided and €3539–4395 per postherpetic neuralgia case avoided. In addition to epidemiological and clinical evidence, economic evidence also supports the implementation of HZ vaccination in France.Moving beyond epidemiological and clinical evidence, this study provides economic evidence to support implementation of an HZ vaccination program for 70–79-year-olds or in the 65 years and older population in France.

The results are supported by extensive sensitivity analyses. The main parameters influencing the results are pain classification and epidemiology data used, utilities, vaccine price and discount rates considered; this is in line with international literature results. Vaccination policy was also estimated to be very cost effective in other cohorts (65- and 70-year-old cohort), which can be important in the context of initial influenza vaccination. Public health and economic benefits of vaccination would be optimal in 70–79-year-old participants in the French healthcare insurance system.

Moving beyond epidemiological and clinical evidence, this study provides economic evidence to support implementation of an HZ vaccination program for 70–79-year-olds or in the 65 years and older population in France.

The results are supported by extensive sensitivity analyses. The main parameters influencing the results are pain classification and epidemiology data used, utilities, vaccine price and discount rates considered; this is in line with international literature results. Vaccination policy was also estimated to be very cost effective in other cohorts (65- and 70-year-old cohort), which can be important in the context of initial influenza vaccination. Public health and economic benefits of vaccination would be optimal in 70–79-year-old participants in the French healthcare insurance system.