A high-dose inactivated influenza vaccine is more effective than a standard-dose vaccine in preventing influenza among seniors, according to a study in Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics.
Researchers conducted a 32,000-participant, randomized controlled clinical trial, called FIM12. Researchers performed a cost-utility analysis from a Canadian healthcare perspective. Additionally, they mapped clinical illness data from the trial to quality-of-life data.
Researchers found that average per-participant medical costs were $47 lower for the high-dose inactivated influenza vaccine group. Societal costs were $60 lower in the same group.
Hospitalizations accounted for 91 percent of the total cost and were less frequent in the high-dose inactivated influenza vaccine group. In Canada, high-dose inactivated influenza vaccine is expected to be a less costly and more effective alternative to standard-dose vaccine, driven by a reduction in hospitalizations.