Incorporating economic evaluation into immunization decision making in Canada: A workshop

Abstract

To discuss the potential for systematically incorporating economic evaluation into immunization decision-making in Canada, the Vaccine Industry Committee of BIOTECanada, together with the Public Health Agency of Canada, academic vaccine researchers, economists, and modelers, held a workshop titled Economic Evaluation in Immunization Decision Making. The workshop brought together multiple interested parties to discuss opportunities and challenges in the Canadian system, learn about proposed best practices in this field, and consult about the optimal use of economic analysis in an overall coherent vaccine decisionmaking framework. Participants were asked to reflect on how economic evaluation can best fit in Canada, whether current standards for economic evaluation are sufficient, and how and by whom these evaluations should be conducted. In this paper, we summarize the workshop presentations and consultations as well as insights about what approaches may be needed and feasible in Canada.