Economic Burden
The Economic Burden of Influenza
Influenza causes considerable economic burden and a significant strain on U.S. healthcare services and medical resources:
- Direct medical costs are on average estimated to be as high as $10.4 billion annually1
- The total annual economic burden, including indirect costs and lost productivity, is reported to be $87.1 billion1
- During influenza outbreaks, visits to family care physicians and internal medicine specialists can increase between 150 and 450 percent2
- Using a pharmacoeconomic model (2003 values):
- The average cost of outpatient care for influenza (including office visits, tests and medications), ranged from $95 for low-risk patients to $733 for those at high-risk1
- In the U.S., the economic impact of an influenza epidemic has been estimated to be between $89.7 billion and 209.4 billion, assuming attack rates of 15% and 35%, respectively.1
- Lost productivity is also a major consequence of widespread influenza epidemic. For instance, in the U.S. in 1996, influenza epidemic was estimated to result in 192 million bed-days, 70 million work-loss days, and 38 million school-loss days, and 346 million restricted-activity days.2 In 2003 dollars, the extent of lost earnings due to lost productivity accounted for $16.3 billion annually.1
- Economic analysis of the results of a double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial of vaccination against influenza showed that absenteeism from work due to upper respiratory illness was reduced by 43 percent, absenteeism due to all illnesses by 36 percent, and visits to physicians' offices for upper respiratory illness by 44 percent. Combined cost savings were estimated at $46.85 per person vaccinated (1994 values)3
References:
- Molinari NA, Ortega-Sanchez I, Messonier ML, et al. The annual impact of seasonal influenza in the US: measuring disease burden and costs. Vaccine. 2007 In press.
- Mauskopf JA, Cates SC, Griffin AD. A pharmacoeconomic model for the treatment of influenza. Pharmacoeconomics. 1999;16(suppl 1):73-84.
- Nichol KL, Lind A, Margolis KL, et al. The effectiveness of vaccination against influenza in healthy, working adults. N Engl J Med. 1995:333:889-893.
