[Cost-benefits of vaccination against hepatitis B in hospital personnel in Venezuela].

A cost-benefit study for hepatitis B vaccination in Venezuelan hospital workers was performed through a decision tree analysis model, which includes the probabilities for the different outcomes of the hepatitis B virus infection (HBV). The current average cost of HBV infection to the Venezuelan Government was estimated at US$ 1,759 per patient. Implementation of selective vaccination or a mass vaccination campaign for the hospital workers would reduce the total cost of HBV infection to 51% or 28%, respectively, saving $17 to $26 million. This type of economic analysis may influence the distribution of the resources to be allocated for the control of HBV infection in Venezuela.