This study was part of a multi-country study on EPI costing and financing of routine immunization and new vaccines (EPIC), funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The project encompassed six countries (Moldova, Uganda, Zambia, Honduras, Benin and Ghana). The overall goal of the proposed project was to undertake analyses of: the costs, funding flows of routine immunization programs and new & underutilized vaccine introduction (NUVI), and determinants of costs and productivity at the facility level in Benin. There was a need for updated global estimates that included pentavalent vaccines as part of routine immunization.
Key results
The estimated total incremental economic cost for the introduction of new vaccine (PCV13) was US$ 2.9 million when counting vaccine cost, and US$ 0.8 million without vaccine cost. Non-vaccine costs were mostly driven by the utilization of cold chain (49%); per-diems and allowances for meetings and trainings (24%); and salaried labor (20%).
The total incremental economic cost of NUVI per dose of new vaccine administered (n= 494,836) was US$ 5.9 per dose and US$ 8.4 per child. Delivery economic cost represented US$ 1.64 cost per PCV dose administered compared to GAVI introduction grant of US$ 0.80. Delivery cost per child amounted to US$ 2.33. Comparing the incremental NUVI economic unit costs (per dose, per child and per capita) with vaccine cost, the unit cost without vaccine was 3.6 times lower. Incremental fiscal costs (including the value of vaccine received) amounted to US$ 5.5 million.
