Assessment of vaccination policies from a health economic perspective: opportunities and emerging foci

The Dutch National Immunization Program holds a pivotal role in public health, significantly influencing the mitigation of infectious diseases. While it encompasses a wide range of vaccines, not all EMA-approved vaccines are incorporated. Based on the Dutch Health Council's recommendations, the Ministry of Health decides on the inclusion of vaccinations as part of the National immunization Program (NIP). Here, health economic analyses play an important role. However, challenges arise when these analyses are unavailable, incomplete, or outdated, resulting in missed opportunities.

Florian's thesis underscores the importance of early Health Technology Assessment (HTA) and periodic to optimize the NIP in the Netherlands. The thesis explores health economic analyses of vaccines through three approaches. The first segment focuses on underutilized vaccines for infants in the Dutch context. The subsequent part delves into the economic aspects of vaccinating older adults, incorporating early HTA and model enhancements to aid decision-making, potentially enhancing the protection against infections in this vulnerable demographic. The final part explores the scope of healthcare policy for optimizing vaccination strategies from a health economic perspective.

From a public health perspective, vaccination is vital to protect the population against infectious diseases and so warrants more attention. To minimize the health burden and costs associated with infectious diseases, a proactive, ongoing, and expeditious approach is essential. Additionally, a broader perspective is necessary, considering the full spectrum of benefits vaccines offer. Instead of perceiving costs of vaccines solely as expenses, these should be viewed as investment in long-term health and well-being of the population.