Economic analysis of the 1992-1993 mass immunization campaign against serogroup C meningococcal disease in Quebec.

The objective of the study was to evaluate the cost-effectiveness and utility of the mass immunization campaign performed in the province of Quebec in 1992-1993, following an outbreak of serogroup C meningococcal disease (CMD). Effectiveness data were extracted from a population-based cohort study, and cost estimates were obtained from surveys. Costs of the campaign to the health system were $ 26 million (1993 Canadian dollars). Between 48 and 74 CMD cases, and between 7 and 11 deaths were prevented in the following 5 years. Net societal costs were between $ 18 and 21 million (using a 3% discount rate), net costs per death averted were between $ 1.7 and 3.0 million, between $ 58,000 and 105,000 per life-year gained, and between $ 49,000 and 87,000 per quality-adjusted life-year gained. These economic indices are less favorable than those for current routine immunization programs in Canada, but within the range of those for other common health interventions.