Am. Tennenberg et al., VARICELLA VACCINATION FOR HEALTH-CARE WORKERS AT A UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL - AN ANALYSIS OF COSTS AND BENEFITS, Infection control and hospital epidemiology, 18(6), 1997, pp. 405-411
OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate the costs and benefits of vaccinating varice
lla-susceptible healthcare workers at a university hospital with live,
attenuated varicella-zoster virus vaccine. DESIGN: Retrospective revi
ew of employee medical records and data on the cost of special paid ab
sence for susceptible healthcare workers after exposure to varicella o
r herpes tester. SETTING: A 988-bed tertiary-care university hospital.
RESULTS: In 1994, 224 hospital employees (3.4%) were susceptible to t
he varicella-zoster virus. There were 40 exposures to varicella and he
rpes tester in that year, involving 29 of the susceptible employees. N
ine (31%) of the exposed susceptibles became varicella immune by indir
ect fluorescent antibody testing subsequent to exposure. Seventeen (59
%) have had multiple varicella exposures and special paid absences whi
le employed by the hospital. In 1994, wages paid to healthcare workers
while furloughed for the communicable period following varicella expo
sure totaled $38,463.93. An additional $24,748.74 was paid to replacem
ent workers during that same time. Varicella vaccine to immunize all 2
24 susceptibles in 1994 would have cost $17,920. Absences due to varic
ella and herpes tester exposure also result in disruptions to patient
care. CONCLUSIONS: Varicella vaccination for varicella-susceptible hea
lthcare workers at a university hospital would result in financial sav
ings and improved patient care. We recommend that other institutions c
onsider the costs and benefits of adopting a varicella immunization pr
ogram for their susceptible employees.