HPV vaccine is not cost-effective for public vaccination in Iran

Majid Davari, an expert in drug economics and a professor at Tehran University of Medical Sciences, said in an interview with Mehr reporter: “Therapeutic and preventive measures, including vaccination, should be carried out according to limited resources and based on economic and health technology evaluations.” In these evaluations, the proportionality of the cost with the results of the intervention, such as increasing the life expectancy of patients, is measured. An index called“Quality Adjusted Life Years” (QALY) It is used for these evaluations.
This expert added: In the conducted studies, the HPV vaccine was evaluated for the 12-year-old age group in Iran. The results showed that this vaccine is not cost-effective considering the relatively low prevalence of the disease in the country and the costs associated with general vaccination. He emphasized: In order to protect a limited number of people at risk, a large population must be vaccinated, which costs a lot.
More than 90% of HPV patients recover on their own
He also stated: More than 90% of people infected with HPV virus recover on their own and only a small percentage of them may develop cancer. This is despite the fact that alternative methods such as public education and screening can be significantly effective and low-cost.
In the end, this expert emphasized: a lower age for vaccination can have better results, but even in the 12-year-old age group, which is one of the lowest age groups, this vaccine is not cost-effective for Iran. Also, with increasing age, the economic effectiveness of the vaccine decreases.
The necessity of prioritization in the health system
Emphasizing the necessity of prioritizing therapeutic and preventive measures in the health system, the jury announced that based on the studies conducted, general vaccination of the virus Papilloma HPV is not cost-effective in Iran.
He said: In economic evaluations, indicators such as “quality-adjusted life years gained” (QALY) and cost-effectiveness threshold are used to measure therapeutic and preventive measures. According to the prevalence of HPV in Iran, general vaccination of this disease is not recommended due to the high costs.
Economic indicators determining the effectiveness of vaccines
According to this expert; In a study conducted on a 12-year-old population in Iran, two scenarios of two doses and three doses of HPV vaccine were investigated. The results showed that due to the relatively low prevalence of the disease and the high cost of vaccination compared to the obtained results, this action is not economically viable.
He emphasized: The difference between vaccines and treatments is that vaccines are injected into healthy people and a large population must be vaccinated in order to protect a limited number of people at risk. Therefore, the cost of this action is not economically justified in the low prevalence of the disease.
training and screening; Effective alternatives to vaccination
At the end of the trial, he pointed out: To reduce the risks associated with HPV, education and promotion of public awareness about compliance with health principles and safe sexual relations, along with screening, can play an effective role in controlling the disease.
He recommended that educational measures to promote public awareness regarding health and prevention of HPV infection as well as regular screening programs can be used as effective alternatives.
Source:mehrnews