Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Studies that estimate the economic burden of pediatric pneumococcal disease often only report direct medical costs and omit indirect non-medical costs. Given these indirect costs are not included in most calculations, the full economic burden attributable to pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) serotypes is often underestimated. This study seeks to quantify the full broader economic burden of pediatric pneumococcal disease associated with PCV serotypes. METHODS: We conducted a reanalysis of a previous study where non-medical costs associated with caregiving for a child with pneumococcal disease are considered. The annual indirect non-medical economic burden attributed to PCV serotypes was subsequently calculated for 13 countries. We included five countries with 10-valent (PCV10) national immunization programs (NIPs) (Austria, Finland, The Netherlands, New Zealand, and Sweden) and eight countries with 13-valent (PCV13) NIPs (Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, South Korea, Spain, and the UK). Input parameters were derived from published literature. Indirect costs were inflated to 2021 values in US dollars (USD). RESULTS: The total annual indirect economic burden associated with pediatric pneumococcal diseases attributable to PCV10, PCV13, the 15-valent (PCV15), and the 20-valent (PCV20) serotypes were $46.51 million, $158.95 million, $223.00 million, and $413.97 million, respectively. The five countries with PCV10 NIPs bear a greater societal burden associated with PCV13 serotypes, whereas the residual societal burden in the eight countries with PCV13 NIPs was primarily attributable to non-PCV13 serotypes. CONCLUSION: The inclusion of non-medical costs nearly tripled the total economic burden compared with only including direct medical costs estimated from a previous study. The results from this reanalysis can help inform decision-makers on the broader economic societal burden associated with PCV serotypes and the need for higher-valent PCVs.