Is it cost-effective to introduce rotavirus vaccination in the Dutch national immunization program?

This study assessed whether the inclusion of two rotavirus (RV) vaccines in the Dutch national immunization programme is cost-effective. Costs and outcomes in unvaccinated and vaccinated populations are compared for a time period of 20 years. In the baseline, assuming competitive market forces in relation to vaccine costs, Rotarix® is more cost-effective than RotaTeq®, resulting in a cost-utility ratio (CUR) of € 53,000 per DALY (third payer perspective) and € 49,000 per DALY (societal perspective), but both considered as being not cost-effective. Vaccine-related costs, annual epidemic-size, and indirect protection are the major factors that determine cost-effectiveness of RV vaccination.