The Societal Value of Adult Immunization Programmes Across High- and Middle-Income Countries

A new study from the Office of Health Economics used a benefit–cost analysis framework to estimate the socioeconomic value of adult immunization programmes for influenza, pneumococcal disease, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and herpes zoster across ten countries (Australia, Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Poland, South Africa, Thailand, US). The analysis incorporated a broad range of benefits, including health gains, productivity effects, and avoided care costs.

Key findings include:

• Benefit–cost ratios ranged from 5 to 19, indicating substantial societal returns on investment across programmes.
• Highest returns for influenza and pneumococcal vaccination, driven largely by reductions in mortality.
• RSV immunization programmes showed high potential value across countries, despite being relatively new.
• Herpes zoster programmes, which primarily improve quality of life rather than reduce mortality, consistently delivered positive societal returns.
• In 95% of estimates, adult immunization programmes generated net positive societal value.

The findings show that adult immunization programmes consistently deliver positive returns across diverse health system contexts. Adopting a broader economic evaluation perspective is essential to inform funding and policy decisions, particularly as demographic pressures and demands on health and social care systems continue to grow.

Thumbnail image credit: Office for Health Economics (OHE)