Determining the Optimal Vaccination Schedule for Herpes Zoster: a Cost-Effectiveness Analysis

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommends a single dose of herpes zoster (HZ) vaccine in persons aged 60 years or older, but the efficacy decreases to zero after approximately 10 years. A booster dose administered after 10 years might extend protection, but the cost-effectiveness of a booster strategy has not been examined. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to determine the optimal schedule for HZ vaccine DESIGN: We built a Markov model to follow patients over their lifetime. From the societal perspective, we compared costs and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) saved of 11 strategies to start and repeat HZ vaccine at different ages. SUBJECTS: Adults aged 60 years. INTERVENTION: HZ vaccine. MAIN MEASURES: Costs, quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), and incremental costs per QALY saved. KEY RESULTS: At a $100,000/QALY threshold, “vaccination at 70 plus one booster” was the most cost-effective strategy, with an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of $36,648/QALY. “Vaccination at 60 plus two boosters” was more effective, but had an ICER of $153,734/QALY. In deterministic sensitivity analysis, “vaccination at 60 plus two boosters” cost 67 % or vaccine cost was