Cost-Effectiveness of HPV Vaccination Strategies in Iran

This cost-effectiveness study developed an age- and sex-structured dynamic transmission model to simulate HPV infection and cervical cancer outcomes in Iran. It evaluated three vaccination strategies — vaccinating girls only, boys only, and both sexes — using incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) measured in quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), benchmarked against GDP per capita thresholds.

Key findings:

• HPV vaccination reduces infections and cervical cancer mortality over time, with benefits increasing as vaccinated cohorts age.
• Vaccinating girls only was found to be cost-effective, with ICERs close to one GDP per capita.
• Vaccinating both sexes was less cost-effective than girls-only vaccination.
• Vaccinating boys only was not cost-effective, with ICERs exceeding GDP per capita thresholds.
• Estimates were conservative, as societal cost savings and non-cervical HPV-related diseases were not included.

The findings support girls-only HPV vaccination as a cost-effective strategy in Iran and highlight the importance of dynamic modeling for capturing long-term population-level benefits. Incorporating broader societal costs and additional HPV-related outcomes could further strengthen the economic case for vaccination.

Thumbnail image credit: Gavi