Abstract

Introduction

Immunization is the most effective strategy for the prevention of invasive meningococcal disease caused by Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B (MenB); however, parents need to weigh the risk–benefit and financial impact of immunizing their children against MenB in the absence of a national immunization program (NIP). This study aimed to explore societal preferences (of parents and pediatricians) regarding the attributes of a MenB vaccine in Spain.

Methods

A discrete choice experiment (DCE) based on cross-sectional surveys was carried out to determine preferences. A literature review and scientific committee determined the six attributes related to the MenB vaccine included in the DCE: vaccination age, cost, duration, percentage of protection, adverse events probability, and expert/authority recommendation. Data were analyzed using a mixed logit model. Relative importance (RI) of attributes was calculated and compared between parents and pediatricians.

Results

A total of 278 parents [55.8% female, mean age 40.4 (standard deviation, SD 7.3) years] and 200 pediatricians [73.0% female, mean age 45.8 (SD 12.9) years] answered the DCE. For parents, the highest RI was attributed to vaccine cost, expert/authority recommendation, and percentage of protection (26.4%, 26.1%, and 22.9%, respectively), while for pediatricians the highest RI was assigned to percentage of protection, expert/authority recommendation, and vaccination age (27.2%, 23.7%, and 22.6%, respectively). Significant differences between parents and pediatricians were found in the RI assigned to all attributes (p < 0.001), except for vaccine recommendation.

Conclusion

In the decision regarding MenB vaccination, cost was a driver in parental decision-making but had a low RI for pediatricians and, conversely, vaccination age was highly valued by pediatricians but was the attribute with least importance for parents. Despite these differences, expert/authority recommendation and percentage of protection were essential criteria for both groups. These results provide relevant information about MenB vaccination, highlighting the importance of considering societal preferences for NIP inclusion.

Details

Title
Societal Preferences for Meningococcal B Vaccination in Children: A Discrete Choice Experiment in Spain
Author
Martinón-Torres, Federico 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; de Miguel, Ángel Gil 2 ; Ruiz-Contreras, Jesús 3 ; Vallejo-Aparicio, Laura A. 4 ; García, Andrea 4 ; Gonzalez-Inchausti, María C. 4 ; de Gomensoro, Eduardo 4 ; Kocaata, Zeki 5 ; Gabás-Rivera, Clara 6 ; Comellas, Marta 6 ; Prades, Miriam 6 ; Lizán, Luis 7 

1  Hospital Clínico Universitario de Santiago de Compostela, Translational Pediatrics and Infectious Diseases, Pediatrics Department, Santiago de Compostela, Spain (GRID:grid.411048.8) (ISNI:0000 0000 8816 6945); Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Santiago, University of Santiago de Compostela, Genetics, Vaccines and Infections Research Group (GENVIP), Santiago de Compostela, Spain (GRID:grid.11794.3a) (ISNI:0000000109410645); Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES), Madrid, Spain (GRID:grid.413448.e) (ISNI:0000 0000 9314 1427) 
2  Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Madrid, Spain (GRID:grid.28479.30) (ISNI:0000 0001 2206 5938) 
3  Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Department of Pediatrics, Madrid, Spain (GRID:grid.144756.5) (ISNI:0000 0001 1945 5329); Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Madrid, Spain (GRID:grid.4795.f) (ISNI:0000 0001 2157 7667) 
4  GSK, Madrid, Spain (GRID:grid.419327.a) (ISNI:0000 0004 1768 1287) 
5  GSK, Wavre, Belgium (GRID:grid.425090.a) (ISNI:0000 0004 0468 9597) 
6  Outcomes’10, Castellón, Spain (GRID:grid.425090.a) 
7  Outcomes’10, Castellón, Spain (GRID:grid.425090.a); Universidad Jaime I, Department of Medicine, Castellón, Spain (GRID:grid.425090.a) 
Pages
157-175
Publication year
2023
Publication date
Jan 2023
Publisher
Springer Nature B.V.
ISSN
21938229
e-ISSN
21936382
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s40121-022-00708-7
ProQuest document ID
2867131120
Copyright
© GSK 2022. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.