Public health impact and return on investment of the pediatric immunization program in Poland

Abstract

Background: This study aims to evaluate the epidemiological impact and return on investment of the pediatric immunization program (PIP) in Poland from the healthcare-sector and societal perspectives. Research design and methods: A health-economic model was developed focusing on the nine vaccines, targeting 11 pathogens, recommended by the public health authorities for children aged 0–6 years in Poland. The 2019 birth cohort (388,178) was followed over their lifetime, with the model estimating discounted health outcomes, life-years gained, quality-adjusted life-years, and direct and indirect costs with and without the PIP based on current and pre-vaccine–era disease incidence estimates, respectively. Results: Across 11 targeted pathogens, the Polish PIP prevented more than 452,300 cases of disease, 1,600 deaths, 37,900 life-years lost, and 38,800 quality-adjusted life-years lost. The PIP was associated with vaccination costs of €54 million. Pediatric immunization averted €65 million from a healthcare-sector perspective (benefit–cost ratio [BCR], 2.2) and averted €358 million from a societal perspective (BCR, 7.6). The BCRs from both perspectives remained >1.0 in scenario analyses. Conclusions: The Polish PIP, which has not previously been systematically assessed, brings large-scale prevention of disease-related morbidity, premature mortality, and associated costs. This analysis highlights the value of continued investment in pediatric immunization in Poland.