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About the Authors:
Lisa A. Prosser
* E-mail: [email protected]
Affiliation: Child Health Evaluation and Research Unit, Division of General Pediatrics, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
Tara A. Lavelle
Affiliation: Ph.D. Program in Health Policy, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
Anthony E. Fiore
Affiliation: Influenza Division, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
Carolyn B. Bridges
Affiliation: Influenza Division, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
Carrie Reed
Affiliation: Influenza Division, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
Seema Jain
Affiliation: Influenza Division, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
Kelly M. Dunham
Affiliation: Child Health Evaluation and Research Unit, Division of General Pediatrics, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
Martin I. Meltzer
Affiliation: Influenza Division, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
Introduction
2009 pandemic influenza (A)H1N1 (pH1N1)was first identified in Spring 2009 and has continued to circulate in North America and elsewhere.[1], [2], [3], [4], [5] Initial doses of a vaccine to prevent pH1N1 infection first became available starting in early October 2009. At that time, target groups for vaccination were identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices (ACIP).[6] Targeted age groups differ considerably than those for seasonal influenza vaccine for people 65 years and older. Supply of the pH1N1 vaccine was anticipated to be limited initially, raising questions of prioritization. Consideration of the economic consequences of a vaccination program for pH1N1 can aid decision makers in vaccine allocation decisions by providing information on the relative cost-effectiveness of vaccinating specific age and risk groups.
Most studies using dynamic models suggest that vaccinating school-aged children preferentially over other age groups is the optimal strategy for reducing the health consequences of a future pandemic [7], [8], [9], although one study supports the ACIP prioritization strategy of vaccinating high-risk individuals first.[10] The approach of...