In the United States, a study published early in 2007 estimated the medical and indirect costs attributable to annual influenza epidemics, and found that the total economic burden amounted to USD 87.1 billion annually. Īs the WHO reported, as of the end of 2019, 119 out of 194 member states had included influenza vaccination in their NIPs, and the economic burden could decrease to a large extent after the introduction of vaccines in NIP. The coverage rate of influenza vaccination in China has been extremely low in the past 15 years, with only 2% of the entire population being immunized, and small-scale policy interventions have failed to increase national uptake of influenza vaccinations. However, influenza vaccination has not been included in China’s National Immunization Program (NIP), and the expenses are paid out of pocket on most occasions, even for priority groups.
The WHO and Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that children, chronic diseases patients, and the elderly be among the priority groups for influenza vaccination. Immunization has been proven to be one of the most cost-effective health investments to prevent and control influenza, with strong positive externalities, so public intervention is expected to drive vaccine coverage to a socially optimal level. Illness severity and mortality are the greatest in high-risk groups, and so are the associated healthcare costs and productivity losses.
The disease burden of seasonal influenza is also substantial in mainland China, with about 88,000 excess deaths occurring annually. As estimated by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2018, the annual epidemics of seasonal influenza caused 3–5 million severe cases and 290,000–650,000 deaths. It is important to adopt targeted interventions for high-risk groups, and this study can help national-level decision-making on the introduction of influenza vaccination as a public health project.Īnnual influenza epidemics result in substantial morbidity and mortality across the globe, with a large share of the total disease burden occurring in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Conclusions: A large economic burden of ILI was highlighted, especially among the elderly with less income and larger medical burdens, as well as children, with higher prevalence and higher self-payment ratio. Two-part regression showed that age, gender, whether the only child in the family, region, and household income were important predictors of ILI economic burden among children, while age, region, place of residence, basic health insurance, and household income were significant predictors of ILI economic burden among chronic disease patients and the elderly. The average economic burden was CNY 1647 (USD 237.2) for children, CNY 951 (USD 136.9) for chronic disease patients, and CNY 1796 (USD 258.6) for the elderly. Results: There were 45.73% children, 16.77% chronic disease patients, and 12.70% elderly people reporting ILI, and most participants chose outpatient service or over-the-counter (OTC) medication after ILI. The economic burden of ILI consisted of direct (medical or non-medical) and indirect burdens, and a two-part model was adopted to predict the influencing factors of total economic burden. Methods: From August to October 2019, 6668 children’s caregivers, 1735 chronic disease patients, and 3849 elderly people were recruited from 10 provinces in China to participate in an on-site survey. This study aims to examine influenza-like illness (ILI) prevalence, healthcare-seeking behaviors, economic impact of ILI, and its influencing factors among three priority groups during the 2018–19 influenza season. Background: The disease burden of seasonal influenza is substantial in China, while there is still a lack of nationwide economic burden estimates.
0 kommentar(er)
