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
                        
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                Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA)
            
            
                        
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                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.