COSTS AND BENEFITS OF ROUTINE VARICELLA VACCINATION IN GERMAN CHILDREN

This study assessed the costs and benefits of introducing routine vari cella vaccination to healthy children in Germany, Three vaccination st rategies were compared with that of no prevention: vaccination of all 15-month-old children; vaccination of susceptible 12-year-olds (adoles cent); and a combination of strategies (children including catch-up), From a purely economic viewpoint, the adolescent strategy was optimal: It was the only one that resulted in net direct cost savings, However , since this strategy may be less acceptable from a medical or organiz ational point of view and because total net savings were the highest, a second option was to begin immunization starting with the 15-month-o ld children and to use the catch-up strategy for 11 years (total benef it-to-cost ratio (BCR), 4.72:1; cost-effectiveness ratio (CER), DM 691 5 per life-year saved) and from year 12 on to use the first strategy ( BCR, 4.60:1; CER, DM 19,735 per life-year saved).