Health technology assessment of a selective BCG vaccination programme

Health Information and Quality Authority
Record ID 32015001221
English
Authors' recommendations: Health technology assessment supports evidence-based decision making in regard to the optimum use of resources in healthcare services. Measured investment and disinvestment decisions are essential to ensure that overall population health gain is maximised, particularly given constrained healthcare budgets and increasing demands for services provided. Bearing in mind the estimates and assumptions that were used in this analysis, the following conclusions may be drawn. All European countries with a TB incidence similar to Ireland do not have programmes of universal BCG vaccination. Based on recent patterns of TB incidence, Ireland meets the International Union Against TB and Lung Disease criteria for discontinuing universal BCG vaccination. Selective vaccination will protect children most at risk of contracting TB while avoiding adverse effects of the vaccine in children who are least likely to benefit from vaccination. Selective vaccination delivers a programme that minimises adverse events while a universal programme maximises benefits but at the expense of increased adverse events. Universal vaccination is not cost-effective. Selective vaccination was found to be not cost-effective relative to a programme of no vaccination. Should selective vaccination be adopted, the most efficient method of delivering the programme must be determined. A change in emphasis from protection to prevention requires a coherent plan for modifications to TB control measures other than BCG vaccination. Changes to other elements of TB control should be introduced before a change in vaccination policy in order to minimise the impact of reduced BCG coverage.
Details
Project Status: Completed
Year Published: 2015
URL for published report: http://www.hiqa.ie/publications
English language abstract: An English language summary is available
Publication Type: Not Assigned
Country: Ireland
MeSH Terms
  • Humans
  • BCG Vaccine
  • Mycobacterium bovis
  • Technology Assessment, Biomedical
  • Vaccination
Contact
Organisation Name: Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA)
Contact Address: Health Information and Quality Authority, George's Court, George's Lane,Smithfield, Dublin 7. PH : + 353 (01) 814 7464
Contact Name: info@hiqa.ie
Contact Email: info@hiqa.ie
Copyright: Health Information and Quality Authority
This is a bibliographic record of a published health technology assessment from a member of INAHTA or other HTA producer. No evaluation of the quality of this assessment has been made for the HTA database.